DEFENCE

Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to how much expenditure on the future aircraft carriers his Department is contractually committed.

Peter Luff: The contract placed with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance in 2008 was for the manufacture of two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers. That contractual commitment has not changed and our current estimate of total project cost is £5.2 billion.

Defence Equipment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what unmanned defence equipment is  (a) in use,  (b) in development and  (c) under consideration for future use; and what the cost to the public purse was of each type of equipment programme on the latest date for which figures are available.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence has many different types of unmanned defence equipment in use, in development and under consideration for future use.
	Owing to the variety and number of types of equipment only the major air and land systems have been included in the following table, although in the maritime domain the Royal Navy uses civil derived unmanned underwater vehicles for tasks such as mine countermeasure operations. The table provides the name, description and latest financial approval of the various equipments.
	
		
			  In service equipment 
			  Equipment name  Description  Approval 
			 Desert Hawk (UOR) A small hand launched Unmanned Air System (UAS) that provides an 'over the hill' view for commanders on the ground allowing patrols to look ahead and scout for enemy activity. £36 million 
			
			 HERMES 450 (UOR) Currently the Theatre Tactical UAS in Afghanistan. It can carry a variety of different surveillance packages, which it uses to provide high quality imagery for use by brigade and battlegroup commanders. £181 million 
			
			 Reaper (UOR) A strategic medium altitude armed Remotely Piloted Air System. Its primary mission is to contribute to the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission in Afghanistan. £250 million 
			
			 Wheelbarrow Currently the largest of the current EOD robot fleet and used in the UK and Afghanistan. It is a well proven Remote Control Vehicle, deploying from a vehicle by either radio control of Fibre Optic link. It entered service in 1972 and achieved its current Mark 8B configuration in 1995. Due to the length of service of this system the information is not held in the appropriate format. 
			
			 Talisman (UOR) Provides a Route Proving and Clearance capability and has been in use on current operations since April 2010. There are two unmanned equipments within Talisman, the Talon Combat Engineer Remote Control Vehicle (RCV) and the T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle (MAV). £120 million. Of which less than £14 million is for the remote controlled elements of the programme. 
			
			 Dragon Runner (UOR) A lightweight, man-portable Remote Controlled Vehicle weighing approximately 20 kg. Dragon Runner provides the helicopter and foot mounted EOD operator with a remote capability to approach and, depending on the type, render safe an IED. £19 million 
		
	
	
		
			  Equipment under development: 
			  Equipment name  Description  Approval 
			 Watchkeeper The British Army's new UAS providing persistent, all weather, day and night, real time battlefield surveillance. It will progressively replace the HERMES 450 during 2011. £1,027 million 
			
			 Panama (UOR) A vehicle mounted IED detection capability. £48 million 
			
			 Terrier An armoured earthmoving vehicle that has a remote control capability for the surface clearance of mines. A total of 60 vehicles are to be purchased of which 13 will be capable of being operated by remote control. £386 million. Of which less than £5 million is for the remote controlled elements. 
			
			 CUTLASS The next generation of large EOD remote controlled vehicle. CUTLASS will deliver a high mobility six wheeled robot with a state of the art manipulator arm. £80 million 
		
	
	
		
			  Equipment under consideration 
			  Equipment name  Description  Approval 
			 Future UCAS/UAS Joint MOD-industry funded technical demonstrator programmes such as MANTIS and TARANIS to help inform future UAV/UCAS planning and acquisition decisions to meet emerging MOD capability requirements. £169 million

Defence: Exports

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the  (a) competitiveness and  (b) penetration of defence exports.

Gerald Howarth: This Government aim to increase Britain's defence exports. The United Kingdom Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) is responsible for promoting British defence industry overseas under the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills. The interests of the Ministry of Defence are recognised under a service level agreement with UKTI.
	This Government have publicly stated that we wish to re-energise Government support to defence exports. This is because exports help to secure high skilled British defence manufacturing jobs and to reduce the unit costs of Ministry of Defence acquisition projects through increased production runs.
	We also recognise defence exports make an important contribution to achieving wider defence diplomacy objectives.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Fox) and I are looking at a number of ways we can achieve this. Ensuring British defence equipment remains competitive is essential to achieving a greater share of the defence market. We have established our five criteria against which future equipment programmes will be assessed, as set out in the speech my hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Peter Luff) gave at Dynamic Vehicle Demonstration (DVD) on 23 June 2010 which is freely available at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/People/Ministers/MinisterForDefenceEquipmentSupportAnd Technology.htm
	This Government recognise that Government support can be an extremely important factor in making British industry successful overseas. It is our intention to work to achieve greater support to exports while maximising the benefits and value for money to the taxpayer.

Defence: Reviews

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable he has set for publication of the  (a) value for money review of the Trident replacement programme and  (b) the report of the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence's work on the value-for-money study should be completed at the end of this month. The findings will go to the Cabinet Office, and will then be considered by the National Security Council. The council's conclusions will inform the strategic defence and security review and the comprehensive spending review, which will be published in the autumn.

Type 45 Destroyers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the effectiveness of the Sea Viper missile system in protecting air, land and sea forces.

Peter Luff: The principal anti-air missile system (PAAMS), known as Sea Viper by the Royal Navy, is the primary weapons system of the Type 45 destroyer. With this capability, the Type 45s will be able to engage a large number of targets simultaneously and defend aircraft carriers or groups of ships, such as amphibious landing forces, against current and future threats from the air. This includes stealthy, highly manoeuvrable missiles approaching in salvoes, simultaneously and from several directions.
	The missile system is undergoing a rigorous test and integration programme to ensure that all aspects of the system have been thoroughly trialled before it enters service. In June 2010, PAAMS successfully completed a series of test firings. The trials were conducted over a range of scenarios of steadily increasing complexity, culminating in a salvo firing against a high speed and manoeuvring, sea skimming target.

Type 45 Destroyers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he expects the new Type 45 destroyers to be delivered to the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: Under the current programme, the in-service date for HMS Daring, the first in the class of Type 45 Destroyers, is expected to be declared later this summer.
	The planned in-service dates for the remaining five Type 45s are listed in the following table:
	
		
			   Planned in-service date 
			 Dauntless 2011 
			 Diamond 2011 
			 Dragon 2012 
			 Defender 2013 
			 Duncan 2014

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many copies of the report of the Saville Inquiry have been printed in  (a) full and  (b) summary; and at what cost to the public purse in each such case.

Owen Paterson: 285 copies of the 'Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry' (HC29, 5,200 pages) and 2,200 copies of the 'Principal Conclusions and Overall Assessment of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry' (HC30, 60 pages) were printed. These copies were printed to facilitate advance sight of the report and provide interested parties with copies; to provide the required number of copies to Parliament and The Stationery Office for publishing purposes; and for provision within Government, to the Northern Ireland Assembly, and to the Irish Government.
	The total cost of printing, including costs related to DVD production and the security measures put in place to protect the integrity of the report prior to publication, was £194,652. It is not possible to separate out the individual printing costs of the full report and the summary document.

Departmental Civil Servants

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees of his Department attended Civil Service Live in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to his Department of such attendance in each such year.

Owen Paterson: The Department does not hold central records on attendance at Civil Service Live.

Departmental Lighting

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on light bulbs in each year since 1997.

Owen Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office transferred responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.
	Since 12 April the Department has incurred no cost in this area.
	The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has incurred no cost since 12 April.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on hospitality in each year since 1997.  [Official Report, 27 July 2010, Vol. 514, c. 3-4MC.]

Owen Paterson: On 12 April 2010 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) transferred responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Comparable figures for the Department as it is now configured are not available.
	Since 12 April the Department has spent £234 on hospitality.
	The NIO has no agencies. It has one non-departmental public body which has incurred no cost on hospitality since 12 April.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Common Fisheries Policy

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the future of the common fisheries policy; and if she will bring forward proposals to  (a) give local residents more influence over the future of their fishing industries and  (b) end fish discards.

Richard Benyon: The UK will press for radical reform of the common fisheries policy (CFP). There must be more regionalised decision-making; genuine integration of fisheries with other marine policies; longer-term management planning; greater flexibility and certainty in the system; and a mechanism to ease the transition to a sustainable and profitable future. In particular we want to see decision making decentralised, and simplified, to give more responsibility for implementation to member states, for example where they are working together regionally.
	The wasteful practice of discarding fish must be brought to an end. Reform should give fishermen more control, incentives and responsibility for managing fish stocks and helping to reduce discards. Reform also gives the UK an opportunity to deploy evidence on how switching from landing based quotas to catch quotas can reduce discards.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of fly-tipping.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working closely with the Environment Agency, Keep Britain Tidy, local authorities, landowners and other members of the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group to better understand the causes of fly-tipping, and the best approach to reducing incidences of fly-tipping at a local level.
	DEFRA works with organisations such as Keep Britain Tidy to support local authorities with training, guidance and advice on their fly-tipping prevention strategies. DEFRA also funds the Flycapture system which records information on fly-tipping incidents dealt with by local authorities as well as enforcement action taken, allowing DEFRA and local authorities to assess the scale of the problem and prioritise action.
	We will be considering how best to target our future activity on fly-tipping as part of the recently announced review of waste policies.

Food: Standards

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to  (a) stimulate the rural economy,  (b) reduce food miles and  (c) improve nutritional standards.

Richard Benyon: The recession has affected rural and urban areas alike, and DEFRA is working to ensure that rural needs and interests are fairly addressed in all relevant Government economic programmes. In particular, DEFRA is working closely with BIS and DCMS to ensure that the benefits of broadband are fully available to rural people, communities and businesses.
	DEFRA works closely with all parts of the food industry supply chain to encourage environmental sustainability best practice, including the movement of all types of food. A number of trade associations are working with their members to achieve sustainability targets, for example, to reduce their overall carbon footprint.
	Nutritional standards are primarily the responsibility of the Department of Health. The Government believe it is for individuals to take responsibility for their health, including healthy eating. What the Government can do is put in place ways to make this easier and support people, such as the fruit and vegetables task force. DEFRA launched this task force in October 2009 to identify the barriers to increasing domestic production and consumption of fruit and vegetables in England. It brings together growers, processors, wholesalers, major retailers, representatives of street market, the School Food Trust, the Food Standards Agency, research and development professionals, people involved in public procurement and respected academics.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure her Department has incurred in relation to each genetically-modified crop test site it has funded in each year since 1997.

James Paice: DEFRA was the main funder of the ecological research that was undertaken as part of the farm scale evaluation trials of GM herbicide-tolerant crops from 1999 to 2003. The total cost of this project was approximately £5.9 million, of which DEFRA paid £5.36 million. The remaining funding was provided by the Scottish Executive. Costs incurred are not available for individual trial sites, of which there were approximately 260 in total.
	In addition, DEFRA has contributed to a research project on the control of potato cyst nematodes under a Government Partnership Award programme. This project has been carried out by the University of Leeds, funded mainly by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and has included research trials of GM potatoes in 2008 and 2009 as well as laboratory based work. DEFRA's contribution to the overall project cost of £414,000 was £69,000. Specific cost figures just for the field trial component of the project are not readily available.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 125W, on incinerators: health hazards, if she will request that the Environment Agency publish its own protocol for the representative sampling and testing of incinerator bottom ash for H14 Ecotoxicity in circumstances in which the Environmental Services Association is unable to complete a protocol to the satisfaction of the Environment Agency.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency has no plans to produce a protocol specifically for assessing H14 ecotoxicity of incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Representative sampling of IBA is already required in order to satisfy the waste incineration directive.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make the undertaking of representative sampling and testing protocol for H14 ecotoxicity of incinerator bottom ash a condition for the granting of environmental permits for waste incinerators.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency does not intend to make this a permit condition. Assessment of incinerator bottom ash to determine whether it is hazardous (including h14 ecotoxicity testing) is a requirement of the hazardous waste regulations, which apply directly to all producers of hazardous waste. There is no need to repeat the requirement within a permit application.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will direct the Environment Agency to  (a) adopt and  (b) document in its Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control guidance a representative sampling and testing protocol for incinerator bottom ash as part of its Best Available Techniques.

Richard Benyon: Permits for incinerators already have a condition that requires sampling and testing of incinerator bottom ash to satisfy the requirements of the waste incineration directive. This must be carried out representatively and using techniques conforming to an ash sampling protocol issued by the Environment Agency in 2001.
	In light of developments in techniques, the Environment Agency is currently updating its protocol for ash sampling. This is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.

Rural Payments Agency

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Rural Payments Agency spent on  (a) advertising,  (b) public relations,  (c) consultants,  (d) bonuses,  (e) entertainment and  (f) overtime in each of the last five years.

James Paice: The amounts spent by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on advertising, public relations, consultants/contractors, bonuses, entertainment and overtime in each of the last five years are shown in the following table.
	In respect of advertising and public relations the RPA Communications Directorate, responsible for dealing with advertising and public relations, was established as a separate entity in November 2006. Unfortunately the data required to provide information for the 2006-07 financial year and earlier years are not held in a form that is easily accessible. As the extraction and collation of these data would require a considerable amount of work and incur an unacceptable cost an answer cannot be provided.
	The figures shown for advertising relate to space paid for in print/online media to raise awareness of existing and new RPA managed schemes, regulatory changes and application deadlines, as well as recruitment activity during the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years.
	The figures shown for public relations encompass external public relations activity to raise awareness of RPA managed schemes, direct costs in media relations and agricultural shows during the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 financial years.
	With effect from 2007-08 RPA does not employ consultants. From then all external resources employed to provide expert opinion, including holding interim position, are recognised and accounted for as contractors.
	Entertainment figures relate to refreshments for meetings.
	The bonus amounts include payments made to senior civil servants in RPA.
	
		
			  Financial year  Advertising (£)  Public relations (£)  Consultants and contractor staff costs (£ million)  Bonuses (£000)  Entertainment (£)  Overtime  (£ million) 
			 2005-06 n/a n/a 29.5 252 81,292.58 3,865,888 
			 2006-07 n/a n/a 27.9 302 104,924.90 3,899,571 
			 2007-08 101,943 150,678 23.4 452 95,021.01 3,312,792 
			 2008-09 111,749 90,830 23.2 559 93,518.21 3,116,143 
			 2009-10 164,903 94,014 25.0 513 49,734.98 2,521,496 
			 n/a = not available

WALES

Cabinet: Wales

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on holding a future Cabinet meeting in Wales.

Cheryl Gillan: The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have committed to continuing the practice of holding Cabinet meetings outside London, and I have requested a future Cabinet is held in Wales.

Departmental Billing

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information her Department holds on the time taken by contractors employed by it to pay the invoices of their sub-contractors under prompt payment arrangements; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: Nil.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate her Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in her Department in (i) May 2010 and (ii) June 2010.

David Jones: In May and June of this year the Wales Office spent £16,723 on the Government Car Service. This covers the car charges for both myself and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
	Train travel charges are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   May 2010  June 2010 
			 Secretary of State 433.50 657.60 
			 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State 143.50 250.20 
		
	
	All train travel in the Wales Office is now standard class.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much her Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in her Department in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

David Jones: Nil.

Departmental Speeches

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which  (a) (i) civil servants and (ii) special advisers in her Department and  (b) other individuals are employed to write speeches for each Minister in her Department.

David Jones: No individuals are employed specifically to write speeches for Wales Office Ministers. However, policy officials and one special adviser contribute to the drafting of speeches as part of their normal duties.

Electoral Commission

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter to her of 26 May 2010 from the Chair of the Electoral Commission.

Cheryl Gillan: The letter referred to is already available on the Wales Office website at:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	following a recent Freedom of Information request. Some information has been withheld as it relates to ongoing policy development.

Private Sector: Job Creation

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of private sector jobs forecast to be created in the next five years she expects to be based in each employment sector in Wales.

David Jones: The Office for Budget Responsibility has published top-level UK predictions based on macro-economic data and at present there are no sub-national figures available.
	We are committed to encouraging growth in all parts of the private sector so that those left unemployed by the recession in Wales are provided with worthwhile, sustainable jobs.
	We welcome the Welsh Assembly Government's Economic Renewal Programme and look forward to working with them to create a strong recovery in Wales, particularly in the six key sectors that they have identified.

Public Finance: Wales

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate she has made of the effect on the number of jobs in Wales of public spending reductions in the next five years.

David Jones: All parts of the United Kingdom have to play their part in reducing the deficit we have inherited but until the comprehensive spending review is completed, the precise effect on Wales of future spending reductions cannot be known.
	We remain committed to working with the Welsh Assembly Government to preserve front-line services and to protect public sector jobs wherever possible.

Referendum: Secretary of State

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's paper entitled Referendum: Role of the Secretary of State.

Cheryl Gillan: The paper referred to is already available on the Wales Office website:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	following a recent Freedom of Information request. Some information has been withheld as it relates to ongoing policy development.

Referendum: Timeline

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's document entitled Timeline: How the commitment to take forward a referendum has been implemented.

Cheryl Gillan: The document referred to is already available on the Wales Office website at:
	www.walesoffice.gov.uk
	following a recent Freedom of Information request.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Betting Shops

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make an estimate of the  (a) number of licensed betting shops and  (b) population per betting shop in each ward in each decile of the index of multiple deprivation in England.

John Penrose: The total number of licensed betting shops in England, as at 31 March 2009 was 8,862. These data are published in the Gambling Commission's industry statistics for 2008-09 and can be downloaded on their website:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/pdf/Gambling %20Industry%20Statistics%202008%202009%20-%20update%20-%20October%202009.pdf
	Data regarding population per betting shop in each ward is not held centrally in this Department.

Betting Shops: Gaming Machines

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to limit the right of betting shops to operate slot machines on their premises;
	(2)  if he will undertake a study to assess the effects on the level of gambling addiction of permitting betting shops to operate slot machines on their premises.

John Penrose: At present the Government have no plans to reduce the limit of four gaming machine for licensed betting premises. All licensed gambling operators are subject to a range of controls through the Gambling Act 2005, which include access to gaming machines, limits on stake and prize and the number of machines that can be offered.
	All operators must comply with the Gambling Commission's Licence Conditions and Code of Practice, which include specific provisions in relation to underage and problem gambling, access, staff training and self exclusion. In addition all gaming machines licensed in gambling premises must comply with the Commission's gaming machine technical standards and gaming machine testing strategy.
	The Government are aware of concerns regarding higher stake, higher prize gaming machines and levels of problem gambling in Great Britain. In the last two years the Commission has undertaken research into a range of issues associated with these types of machines and published several independent reports. These are available on the Commission's website:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/research __consultations/research/research_programme/gaming_machines_research_ progr.aspx
	Building on the Commission's work, the Responsible Gambling Strategy Board is taking forward a research programme on higher stake higher prize gaming machines as one of its initial priorities and is expected to publish further details of that programme later this year.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on maintaining its Twitter feed in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on maintaining its YouTube channel in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent staff in his Department engaged in maintaining social media and networking sites; and what estimate he has made of the cost of employing such people in the last 12 months;
	(4)  how much his Department spent on maintaining its Flickr channel in the last 12 months.

John Penrose: This Department does not have any full-time staff committed to maintaining social media and networking sites.
	In addition, we have incurred no costs maintaining the social networks listed. The sites are supported as part of normal communications work with no more than 10% of a fulltime employees' time spent on this work.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in his Department in (i) May 2010 and (ii) June 2010.

John Penrose: The total amount spent by the Department during May 2010 and June 2010 on all domestic and foreign travel by Ministers in their official capacity is set out in the table:
	
		
			  Minister  Month  Estimated spend (£) 
			 Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport May 2010 245.07 
			  June 2010 2,614.05 
			
			 Ministerial Team May 2010 485.38 
			  June 2010 2,133.76

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

John Penrose: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W.

Digital Broadcasting: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport when he expects digital switchover to take place in Northern Ireland.

Edward Vaizey: It is planned that digital switchover in Northern Ireland will take place in the second half of 2012.

Digital Broadcasting: Radio

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policy on digital radio switchover of the sound quality provided by the current DAB digital radio standard compared to that provided by the FM signal.

Edward Vaizey: The Government have no current plans to make an assessment of the sound quality of digital radio, provided by Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), compared to analogue radio provided on the FM band. However, we note that independent research conducted in 2009 suggested that around 75% of digital radio listeners consider the sound quality on DAB to be as good as, if not better than, FM.

Drama: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps is his Department is taking to increase levels of participation among young people in  (a) drama and  (b) acting.

Edward Vaizey: The Arts Council's regular funding supports organisations that work to increase the participation of young people in theatre, such as the National Association of Youth Theatres, the National Student Drama Festival, Company of Angels and Burnley Youth Theatre.
	The Arts Council also manages educational projects which engage young people in the arts, including theatre.
	The 'Artsmark' programme encourages schools to increase the range, quantity and type of arts that are provided to children. Currently 18.6% of schools hold an Artsmark award.
	'Arts Award' is a national qualification which supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders. Young people can work towards Arts Awards within, outside, and beyond school and college. Since its launch in 2005, 28,797 young people have achieved Arts Awards.

Libraries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many public libraries there were in each year since 1997.

Edward Vaizey: The number of public libraries there were each year since 1997 can be seen in the table:
	
		
			  Libraries open 
			   Number 
			 1997-98 3,689 
			 1998-99 3,654 
			 1999-2000 3,633 
			 2000-01 3,627 
			 2001-02 3,619 
			 2002-03 3,601 
			 2003-04 3,604 
			 2004-05 3,570 
			 2005-06 3,573 
			 2006-07 3,580 
			 2007-08 3,565 
			 2008-09 3,542 
		
	
	Data showing the number of public library service points in England are published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in their annual Public Library Statistics. Copies of the CIPFA Public Library Statistics are available in the House Libraries.

Museums

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many times a Minister from his Department has visited the  (a) British Museum,  (b) Natural History Museum and  (c) Science Museum in the last 12 months.

Edward Vaizey: Since the current Administration's tenure, I have visited the British Museum on two occasions. My hon. Friend the Minister for Tourism and Heritage has attended one event hosted there. These visits were in an official capacity.

National Lottery

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he proposes to restrict the Big Lottery Fund to the provision of funding to community and voluntary groups only.

John Penrose: We are taking steps to focus the Big Lottery Fund's funding towards the voluntary and community sector and will shortly be consulting on proposals for this.

Olympic Games 2012: Contracts

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what Olympic construction contracts of what monetary value have been awarded to companies based  (a) in Scotland,  (b) in Wales,  (c) in Northern Ireland,  (d) in England and  (e) outside the UK;
	(2)  what recent estimate the Olympic Delivery Authority has made of the number of new contracts remaining to be let in respect of the London 2012 Olympics; and what estimate has been made of the monetary value of those contracts.

Hugh Robertson: The aggregate value of contracts directly awarded by the ODA to businesses as at July 2010 is as follows:
	 (a) Scotland: £22,200,816
	 (b) Wales: £573,678
	 (c) Northern Ireland: £17,094,646
	 (d) England: £5,073,551,658
	 (e) Outside the UK: £12,039,243.
	The location of each business is determined by its registered address. These figures represent the sums that the ODA has committed up to the 14 July 2010. These values represent the sums that the ODA has spent to date, rather than the end contract value, as the end contract value in many cases will not yet be known.
	The figures given only account for the contracts awarded to the top tier of contractors (tier one contractors). The figures do not include the values of contracts further down the supply chain, in tiers two, three and so on, which are awarded by the tier one contractors rather than by the ODA. The ODA estimates that the total value of supply chain contracts to the regions runs into millions of pounds, but these are not public procurements and so the full value of contracts won across the UK is not captured by the figures provided. The ODA estimates that overall up to 50,000 contracts will be generated throughout its supply chains. Examples of businesses from across the UK that are supplying the ODA's contractors is available in the business section of the London 2012 website under the heading ODA Suppliers, where you will be able to find suppliers listed by venue and sector:
	http://www.london2012.com/business
	The ODA estimates that it has approximately 140 remaining contracts to let, covering remaining requirements on the Olympic Park, transport, and ODA corporate requirements. The estimated value of the remaining contracts is approximately £275 million. The remainder of the ODA's budget is allocated to transport projects being delivered with other partners, security and ODA operational costs.

Olympic Games 2012: Pay

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what bonuses have been paid to  (a) consultants and  (b) contractors working on the Olympic Park construction project in the last six months.

Hugh Robertson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) In order for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to achieve or exceed specific time and cost-based targets incentive payments are made to its delivery partner CLM for the achievement of key performance indicators for the delivery of programme milestones and cost targets. The amounts payable to CLM over the last year in respect of performance will be disclosed in the upcoming ODA's Annual Report and Accounts 2009-10, a copy of which will be available in the House Library, while amounts for previous years are available in the Annual Reports and Accounts from the relevant year.
	 (b) The ODA incentivises contractors on the Olympic Park to deliver on time and on budget. Incentive payments have therefore been included as part of the contracting process. Payments for the last six months consist of the following:
	
		
			  Company  Project  Amount (£  million) 
			 Carillion IBC/MPC 2.556 
			 Lend Lease Olympic Village 6.857 
			 Balfour Beatty Aquatics 0.587 
			 ISG VeloDrome 0.117

Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what London 2012 Olympics cultural legacy projects are planned for the  (a) West Midlands and  (b) Black Country.

Hugh Robertson: The Cultural Olympiad comprises cultural events in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games. These events aim to leave a cultural legacy and include major national projects, annual open weekends and individual projects that have been awarded the Inspire Mark.
	As elsewhere in the UK, Cultural Olympiad events will bring communities in the West Midlands together, allowing local people to access activities they may never have experienced before leading to a broader interest and participation in cultural pursuits that will extend beyond 2012.
	In the West Midlands 25 cultural projects have been awarded the Inspire Mark. These have included a mass dance event at Himley Park, Dudley. The West Midlands has secured £2.2 million from the Legacy Trust to programmes in the region, bringing people together for community activities of all kinds. Dance projects in the region, such as Boys Dancing, StreetCheer and Bollywood Steps have been funded by the Legacy Trust.
	Open Weekend 2010 will take place over 23-25 July. So far, 44 cultural and sports events have been registered in West Midlands overall.
	Some of the Cultural Olympiad Major National Projects include a regional component:
	"Artists Taking the Lead" features cutting edge art works in each region. In the West Midlands this work is Godiva Awakes by Imagineer Productions, the recreation of Lady Godiva as a 10 metre high puppet which will journey from Coventry to London.
	"Stories of the World" is a UK wide series of exhibitions featuring collections reinterpreted by young people, local communities, historians, artists and other fresh voices. In the West Midlands the exhibition is Style Africa, exploring the fabrics of Africa and based around Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery's West African textiles and dress collection.
	A further major national project, to be launched to coincide with Open Weekend 2010, is Discovering Places which will encourage people to learn about and engage with the UK's built, natural and historic environments. These include events to celebrate the Black Country's chain making tradition (Making Links) and the lives of the people of the area (History in the Headstones).

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Greater London

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has taken steps to examine the feasibility of establishing an airport in the Thames Estuary.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 15 July 2010
	 The Department for Transport has not made any recent assessment of the merits of a new airport in the Thames Estuary. This is not an option the Government are considering.
	Our priority is to make efficient use of existing airport infrastructure in the south-east, which is why I am chairing the taskforce announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his written ministerial statement on 15 June 2010,  Official Report, column 48WS, to improve operations at the major south-east airports.

Aviation: Volcanoes

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on discussions at EU level on proposals for compensating airlines for costs incurred as a result of volcanic ash.

Theresa Villiers: At the EU Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 24 June, member states discussed the range of initiatives undertaken in response to the air traffic disruptions taken as a result of the volcanic ash cloud in April. At the meeting, the European Commission confirmed that no member state had made a formal request for state aid clearance for financial assistance to airlines or other companies affected by the disruptions, nor had any draft proposals been presented to the Commission. In a written report to the meeting, the Commission also said that no EU funding was available for this purpose. The Secretary of State for Transport made a written statement to Parliament on the outcome of the Council meeting on 1 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 50-52WS.

Birmingham International Airport

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of jobs that are likely to be created by the planned expansion of Birmingham International Airport;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received from  (a) local businesses and  (b) local authorities on plans for the expansion of Birmingham International Airport.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport has not made any estimate of the number of jobs that are likely to be created by the planned expansion of Birmingham International Airport, nor has he received any representations from local businesses or local authorities on the plans for the expansion of the airport.

British Airways: Industrial Disputes

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with  (a) BA and  (b) Unite on the current industrial dispute at BA.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State held separate meetings to discuss the dispute with the chief executive of British Airways and with the Joint General Secretary of Unite on 17 May and has subsequently had a number of informal follow-up discussions by telephone and at meetings convened for other purposes. He has consistently urged both parties to settle their differences as quickly as possible, in the interest of the travelling public.

Buckshaw Village Railway Station

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Buckshaw Village railway station will be operational; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: A revised planning application has been submitted for the station. If this is successful, contracts could be awarded for construction in August 2010.
	Network Rail estimates that the new station could be operational in autumn 2011.

Crossrail

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Crossrail services per hour will operate at peak times in both directions between Whitechapel and Paddington when the line is complete.

Theresa Villiers: The Crossrail programme provides for 24 trains per hour in each direction during peak hours over the central section on completion of project.

Crossrail: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects on the timetable for the Crossrail project of planned expenditure savings in his Department.

Theresa Villiers: The Government support Crossrail, which will bring substantial benefits to London and the UK. No decisions have been taken to change the schedule of the project.

Crossrail: Finance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects savings under each budget heading to be made in relation to the Crossrail project; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Government support Crossrail, which will bring substantial benefits to London and the UK. No decisions have been taken to change the scope of the project.
	Crossrail Ltd continue to explore and pursue opportunities for reducing costs through value engineering and value management, as well as pursuing rigorous risk management and good procurement practice. This work has not yet been completed and so total potential savings have yet to be fully quantified.

Crossrail: Railway Stations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether new Crossrail stations will be constructed at  (a) Paddington,  (b) Bond Street,  (c) Tottenham Court Road,  (d) Farringdon,  (e) Liverpool Street,  (f) Whitechapel and  (g) Woolwich; and what recent discussions he has had with contractors and designers over changes in design of each of those stations.

Theresa Villiers: The planned Crossrail route includes construction of stations at all of these locations. Station design discussions are continuing between Crossrail Ltd, their designers, and relevant stakeholders. The Secretary of State has not had discussions with contractors or designers but would expect to receive regular reports from Crossrail Ltd as design options are firmed up.

Crossrail: Railway Stations

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Canary Wharf Group on changes in design of the proposed Isle of Dogs/Canary Wharf Crossrail station; and what alterations to the design and features of the station have been made as a result.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State met with Canary Wharf Group and visited the construction site of the Crossrail Canary Wharf station on 15 June 2010. Previous changes to the design of the station were discussed at the meeting but no decisions were taken to alter the design and features as a result.

Cycling: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many children aged  (a) 11 years and under,  (b) 15 years and under and  (c) 16 years and under (i) received serious head injuries and (ii) died as a result of accidents involving bicycles in (A) 2009 and (B) the first quarter of 2010.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport collates information on the number of people killed, seriously injured or slightly injured in reported personal injury road accidents. However, information on the nature of the injury is not collected by the Department, but is available from the national health service information centre.
	The latest year for which data are available is 2009. 2010 road accident and casualty figures will be published in summer 2011.
	The number of casualties, in the age groups 0-11, 0-15 and 0-16, killed or seriously injured in reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one pedal cycle in 2009 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Reported casualties in personal injury road accidents involving at least one pedal cycle, by road user type and casualty age-group: GB 2009 
			   Pedal cyclist  Other road users( 1) 
			  Age of Casualty  Killed  Seriously injured  KSI( 1)  Killed  Seriously injured  KSI( 2) 
			 0-11 years old 5 173 178 1 5 6 
			 0-15 years old 14 444 458 1 9 10 
			 0-16 years old 16 489 505 1 10 11 
			 (1) Includes pedestrians and occupants of vehicles other than pedal cycles. (2) Killed or seriously injured.

Departmental Marketing

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his  (a) Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on logo design in each year since 1997.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport spent £16,795 on its corporate identity when it was formed following machinery of government changes in 2002-03. The logo has not changed since. Costs for other years, agencies and non-departmental public bodies could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 50-2WS, on the EU Transport Council, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on his request for a review of EU Regulation 261/2004 on passenger rights; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: My right hon. Friend has had preliminary discussions with some of his EU counterparts both bilaterally and at the Transport Council on 24 June. The UK supports Regulation 261/2004, which has protected passengers' interests and raised airlines' standards of service. However, it has changed radically and unexpectedly as a result of a European Court of Justice ruling last November in relation to flight delays, to the possible detriment of both passengers and industry. Given that the Commission is already looking at the regulation, as part of the work following the volcanic ash crisis, the UK is asking them to include this issue within the scope of the review.

EU Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 1 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 50-2WS, on the EU Transport Council, what representations he has  (a) received and  (b) sought from (i) consumer groups, (ii) air passenger groups and (iii) airlines prior to or following his request to the European Commission for review of EU Regulation 261/2004 on passenger rights; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The European Commission announced in May that, following the volcanic ash crisis, it was looking again at EU Regulation 261/2004. The UK supports Regulation 261/2004, which has protected passengers' interests and raised airlines' standards of service. However, as part of the Commission's review process, the UK has asked that it also look at one specific aspect of the regulation, relating to flight delays, which changed radically as a result of a European Court of Justice ruling last November. The Government have received several representations from airlines about the effects of this ruling, which could bring detriment to customers as well as high costs for industry. The Commission's review will be of interest to passengers and airlines alike.

London Airports

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the case for additional airport capacity in south east England;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the merits of proposals for a new airport in the Thames Estuary.

Theresa Villiers: Our priority is to get the most out of existing airport infrastructure in the south-east, which is why I shall be chairing the taskforce announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his written ministerial statement on 15 June 2010,  Official Record, column 48WS, to improve operations at the major south-east airports.
	The Department for Transport has not made any recent assessment of the merits of a new airport in the Thames Estuary. This is not an option the Government are considering.

London and South Eastern Railway: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public funding has been allocated to Southeastern Railway since it took over the Kent Integrated Franchise.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport publishes subsidy details for Southeastern (The Integrated Kent Franchise) on its website, which can be found at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/passenger/franchises/franchisepaymentprofiles
	The Office of Rail Regulation publishes actual subsidy payments in its 'National Rail Trends' document (table 6.2c), which is available on its website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.2026
	for the current version, and
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1528
	for versions back to 2005-06.

London and South Eastern Railway: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding has been granted to Southeastern Railway under the National Station Improvement Programme in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Theresa Villiers: The Local Delivery Group responsible for the Southeastern portfolio of stations was allocated £14.3 million of the first £100 million of funding from the National Stations Improvement Programme. Network Rail advises that £960,859, £5,365,053 and £602,271 of this funding was spent on improvement schemes at Southeastern stations in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 respectively.

London-Birmingham Railway Line

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the proposed high speed rail link between London and Birmingham;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the proposed high speed rail link between London and Birmingham from residents or organisations in Coventry.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 28 June 2010
	The Department for Transport has received representations from a range of interested parties, including; business groups, those affected by High Speed 2 Limited's recommended line of route, local and regional government, and environmental groups. None of the representations received was from residents or organisations in Coventry.

Network Rail: Pay

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish each item of correspondence between his Department and Network Rail on executive pay at Network Rail since his appointment.

Theresa Villiers: The Secretary of State for Transport wrote to Rick Haythornthwaite, chairman of Network Rail, on 28 May, emphasising the need for restraint on executive pay. This letter can be found online at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/letters/networkrail20100528.pdf
	and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	As the Special Member of Network Rail, the Secretary of State also receives a number of letters from Network Rail's directors, which are sent to all members. Since the formation of the current Government, there have been two such letters which have referred to executive bonuses. Copies of these letters have been placed in the House Library.

Railways

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research his Department has undertaken into the effects of level of use of the rail network on non-rail users.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has analysed the benefits of rail use to non-rail users using the National Transport Model-by estimating the external costs to society avoided, including congestion, accidents and emissions, if car users switch to rail. The estimates this analysis produced led to the publication of guidance for those carrying out economic appraisals of rail schemes: "TAG unit 3.13.2: Guidance on Rail Appraisal: External Costs of Car Use". This guidance unit is available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/webtag/documents/expert/unit3.13.2.php#022

Railways: Bury

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress he has made on the Bury to Rawtenstall rail extension project.

Theresa Villiers: The Bury to Rawtenstall rail extension project is being promoted by Rossendale borough council in partnership with Lancashire county council, Bury council, Rochdale metropolitan borough council and Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE). GMPTE has commissioned a study from Atkins to look at public transport on the A56-M66 corridor between Bury and East Lancashire which includes the reinstatement of commuter services between Rawtenstall and Manchester as an option. This study is due to be completed in October 2010.

Railways: East Anglia

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 17 June 2010,  Official Report, column 58WS, on transport: rail franchising, 
	(1)  when he expects the competition process for the Greater Anglia franchise to  (a) open and  (b) close;
	(2)  when he expects the new Greater Anglia franchise to be operational.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport is currently in the process of reviewing rail franchising policy. To enable the Greater Anglia franchise to reflect the changes that may arise from the review of this policy, the competitions that started in January this year have been cancelled. It is expected that the new competition process will be advertised by the end of this year. There is no set period between issuing such an advert and franchise commencement, however typically invitations to tender have been issued around a year before the franchise start date.

Railways: Fares

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward measures to hypothecate annual increases in rail fares above the level of the retail price index plus one per cent. for capital investment in rail or in new rolling stock and other investment purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are committed to fairness on rail fares. We hope to be able to keep the current formula for the cap on regulated fares, but we need to wait until further work has been done on the spending settlement before making a final decision on the fare formula for next year.

Railways: Freight

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the contribution of levels of use of rail freight to the economy.

Theresa Villiers: No recent assessment has been made. However, the economic value of rail freight was considered by Skills for Logistics in 2008, which estimated that the freight and logistics sector as a whole is worth around £74.5 billion to the economy.

Transport: Forecasts

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what progress he has made on his plans to revise the New Approach to Transport Appraisal; and what the  (a) terms of reference and  (b) timetable are for that review;
	(2)  whether transport schemes approved for progression during the Comprehensive Spending Review will be reappraised using the revised New Approach to Transport Appraisal before they receive final approval.

Norman Baker: During the Spending Review decision-making will be informed by updated carbon values and a Treasury methodology being used by all departments to assess value for money in a consistent way. We intend to introduce reformed decision-making procedures for new projects as soon as possible after the Spending Review. At that point, projects seeking final approval will be expected to adhere to the new procedures.

Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on Wales of his Department's planned spending reductions.

Philip Hammond: As part of the spending review I will be reviewing the regional impacts of all spending decisions made by my Department, in line with Her Majesty's Treasury guidance. However, as transport is a devolved function, the impact of any reductions in spending in Wales as a result of Barnett consequentials will be determined by the Welsh Assembly Government.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Detainees

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral statement of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 175-78, on the treatment of detainees, from which departmental budget any sums paid in compensation to those bringing civil cases against the Crown involving the treatment of detainees will be drawn.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 July 2010
	Formal mediation has not yet begun and at this stage we do not know what the outcome will be. It would therefore be inappropriate to comment any further on the details of any potential payments.

Crime: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission a report from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis on the number and location of anti-Semitic incidents in London since December 2008; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is committed to tackling all hate crime. Data on anti-Semitic hate crime is collected by the Metropolitan police and provided to the Association of Chief Police Officers National Community Tension Team to ensure that current threats are closely monitored. We have no plans to commission a separate report from the Metropolitan Commissioner on this issue.

Departmental Marketing

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her  (a) Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on logo design in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Spend incurred for logo design is not always itemised and invoiced separately on the Cabinet Office Resource Accounting System. Therefore, to determine conclusively the Department's spend on logo development would require an analysis of every transaction undertaken during the period in question and would mean manually checking thousands of individual invoices.

Departmental Official Cars

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has spent on the Government Car Service since the Government took office.

Nick Herbert: Since the new coalition Government came into effect on 11 May 2010, the Home Office has spent £22,027 on the Government Car Service.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), under what budgetary headings the £367 million of savings allocated to her Department will be made.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office and Government Equalities Office contributed £367 million in 2010-11 to the £6 billion in-year cross-Government savings announced by the Chancellor on 26 May 2010.
	Police funding for 2010-11 was reduced by a total of £135 million, of which £125 million was comprised of reductions to the core police grant and police capital grant, as set out in the written ministerial statement laid before the House on 27 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 12-16WS. A further £10 million reduction was made from policing counter-terrorism grants.
	Some £82 million of the savings were made from the Department's agencies and arm's length bodies, as well as the Government Equalities Office. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Alan Johnson) on 29 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 508-09W.
	A further £139 million is accounted for by:
	a £30 million reduction to the Home Office crime and policing budget, including some grants;
	a £69 million reduction to the budget of the UK Border Agency;
	a further £13 million reduction to the Identity and Passport Service budget;
	a £13 million reduction to the Home Office corporate services budget; and a
	£14 million reduction to the security and counter-terrorism budget.
	Within these headline numbers the Department is targeting its overheads, consultancy and lower value spend.
	The remaining £11 million savings will be managed through the usual in-year budget management processes within the Department.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5 July 2010, Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on spending control, under what budget headings the £55 million of savings allocated to her Department will be made; and what savings will be made in respect of each police authority area.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 12 July 2010
	The Treasury have confirmed that the Home Office should expect to receive half of the £110 million of capital end year flexibility upon which its capital plans for 2010-11 were based. This means that reductions of around £55 million will need to be made in-year. This will be achieved by bearing down on costs across a range of Home Office programmes and projects. There are no cuts planned to police capital funding.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on employee away days in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on staff away days. The relevant expenditure is compartmentalised within separate accounting codes and would therefore require an investigation of every separate claim for the period in question. To provide the requested detail would incur disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure on away days is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her  (a) Department and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on employee training in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not held centrally and would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Detainees

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral statement of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 175-78, on the treatment of detainees, if she will make it her policy to require that requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for disclosure of compensation paid in resolving outstanding civil cases are not declined on grounds of statutory exemption.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 July 2010
	Mediation is a confidential process and the question of whether any elements are made public is for agreement by both parties. I can however confirm that the exemptions provided for in the Freedom of Information Act would have to be considered before any response could be given.

Detainees

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  pursuant to the oral statement of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 175-78, on the treatment of detainees, if she will disclose to  (a) the Intelligence and Security Committee,  (b) the National Audit Office and  (c) the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation details of the compensation to be paid in resolution of any civil cases involving the treatment of detainees;
	(2)  if she will make it her policy to publish figures for  (a) the number of mediated civil cases where compensation is paid and  (b) the total amount of compensation so paid.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 13 July 2010
	Formal mediation has not yet begun and at this stage we do not know what the outcome will be. The Prime Minister has said that where appropriate financial compensation will be awarded. However, mediation is a confidential process and the question of whether any elements are made public is for agreement by both parties. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.

EC Law

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of the statutory obligations on it provided for in legislation introduced as a consequence of obligations arising from EU legislation in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

James Brokenshire: Over the last 12 months (July 2009 to June 2010), the Home Office has introduced a small number of domestic legislative measures (primary and secondary) implementing in whole or in part statutory obligations arising from EU legislation.
	Eight of these have resulted in minimal costs to the Home Office beyond those integral to the planning, drafting and production of these measures for which figures are not available. Of the remaining two measures:
	The Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2009 enables the UK to move towards complying with EC Regulation 380/2008, which concerns the format of residence permits issued to third country nationals and specifically enabled the UK to roll out biometric residence cards to migrants extending their stay under tier 2 of the PBS (skilled workers). As a proportion of the overall start-up costs for Biometric Residence Permits, £2.6 million was apportioned to the rollout of cards to these migrants. The average annual maintenance cost is £2.1 million which is recovered through application fees.
	On 23 December 2009, benzylpiperazine was brought under control of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a Class C drug pursuant to European Council Decision 2005/387/JHA in relation to new psychoactive substances. No figures are available in relation to the cost to the Department. An impact assessment (IA) laid with the draft Order established that it was not possible at that time to estimate the costs associated with law change. The IA is available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100418065544/http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/regulatory-impact-assessments/

Firearms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many guns have been seized by the police in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: These data are not collected centrally.

Offences Against Children

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent the police has used the European Criminal Records Information system in  (a) locating and  (b) bringing charges against British citizens who have committed sexual crimes against children overseas.

Lynne Featherstone: The European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) is a secure computerised exchange system, using a standardised format so that individual member states are able to exchange criminal conviction information in a uniform, electronic and easily computer translatable way. It is due to be implemented by all member states in April 2012. As the information exchanged through ECRIS will only be existing criminal convictions it will not be possible to use it to locate and bring charges against British citizens who have committed sexual crimes against children overseas.
	The United Kingdom already receives criminal conviction notifications from the majority of EU countries. An offender will be placed on the Violent and Sexual Offenders Register (VISOR) if the offence abroad is one that would have resulted in him being placed on VISOR if it had occurred in the UK. There are currently 499 offenders on VISOR as a result of offences committed abroad.

Offences Against Children: Prosecutions

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions were brought and  (b) convictions there were under section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 for sexual crimes committed against children outside the UK in each year since the Act came into force; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the length of the sentences given in relation to the maximum available sentence.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 15 July 2010
	The Court Proceedings Database held by the Ministry of Justice contains information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. Other than where specified in a statute, statistical information available centrally does not include the circumstances of each case and does not identify where the offence was committed. Therefore it is not possible to separately identify those defendants proceeded against who committed the offence while abroad.
	No internal assessment of sentencing under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 has been made. However, the Sentencing Guidelines Council published definitive guideline on sentencing under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 on 30 April 2007 that addresses appropriate levels of sentencing in relation to the maximum sentences. I will place a copy of these guidelines in the Library.

Offensive Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people stopped by the police on suspicion of carrying a knife were subsequently  (a) charged and  (b) convicted in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Data on the number of persons stopped and searched, and resultant arrests for offensive weapons under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) and under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 do not separately identify searches for knives.
	Information on the number of stop searches and resultant arrests for offensive weapons can be found in tables 2a and 2b of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 'Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales 2008/09'. Copies of the bulletin are available in the Library of the House.
	These data do not link to any subsequent outcome therefore it is not possible to identify the number of convictions for possession of a knife in public arising directly from these stop and search procedures.

Offensive Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knives have been seized by the police in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: The requested data are not held centrally.

Offensive Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) illegally-held and  (b) air weapons were seized by police in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: These data are not collected centrally.

Pakistan: Torture

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) her Department and  (b) the government of Pakistan has spent on the protection of General Musharraf provided by her Department while in the United Kingdom in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Nick Herbert: The Home Office does not comment on the protective security arrangements and their related costs of any individuals or groups. The hon. Member will appreciate that disclosure of such information could compromise the integrity of those arrangements and the security of those involved.

Police

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police warrant cards have been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each year since 1997.

Nick Herbert: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Police: Dismissal

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were dismissed from each police force between 1997 and 2010.

Nick Herbert: The available data are provided in the following table. Data are only available for 2002-03 to 2008-09.
	
		
			  Police officer dismissals by police force (full-time equivalent)( 1) , 2002-03 to 2008-09( 2) 
			  Full-time equivalent 
			  Force name  2002-03( 3)  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Avon and Somerset 1 3 5 4 1 1 3 
			 Bedfordshire 2 0 4 0 5 1 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 4 2 4 2 1 4 0 
			 Cheshire 2 0 2 3 4 3 2 
			 Cleveland 5 3 4 3 0 2 3 
			 Cumbria 2 1 0 2 0 1 1 
			 Derbyshire 4 3 0 3 5 4 4 
			 Devon and Cornwall 7 3 3 0 4 2 2 
			 Dorset 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Durham 0 1 1 1 0 1 2 
			 Essex n/a 3 2 9 5 1 4 
			 Gloucestershire n/a 2 0 2 2 0 1 
			 Greater Manchester 3 11 5 21 6 8 7 
			 Hampshire 3 6 5 6 1 5 4 
			 Hertfordshire 3 4 2 2 2 4 5 
			 Humberside 1 3 0 4 2 2 2 
			 Kent 0 1 0 3 1 4 2 
			 Lancashire 6 5 2 3 6 8 6 
			 Leicestershire 0 1 1 3 2 7 2 
			 Lincolnshire 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 
			 London, City of 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 
			 Merseyside 3 7 9 10 1 13 10 
			 Metropolitan Police 19 22 32 28 31 23 19 
			 Norfolk 1 1 2 1 1 1 5 
			 Northamptonshire 0 2 0 1 3 2 4 
			 Northumbria 3 6 2 2 8 9 4 
			 North Yorkshire 0 3 0 2 0 2 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 
			 South Yorkshire 3 1 0 4 0 0 1 
			 Staffordshire 1 6 3 2 6 8 1 
			 Suffolk 1 2 3 4 2 2 2 
			 Surrey 0 7 2 5 10 5 4 
			 Sussex 0 6 2 5 5 1 2 
			 Thames Valley 4 1 1 8 5 4 8 
			 Warwickshire 1 2 2 2 0 1 1 
			 West Mercia 0 4 2 4 1 0 1 
			 West Midlands 11 4 18 8 26 16 8 
			 West Yorkshire 6 6 2 5 3 8 6 
			 Wiltshire 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 1 1 3 0 3 3 
			 Gwent 1 0 2 3 1 6 2 
			 North Wales 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 
			 South Wales 3 4 3 3 1 2 2 
			 Total 108 140 133 178 161 170 141 
			 n/a = Data not available (1) Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. Data have not previously been published in this format therefore totals may not match totals found in the published data. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Comparable data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3) Excludes quarters 1, 2 and 3, as data are not available.

Police: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of funding for the employment of police officers in 2010-11 is provided by  (a) central Government and  (b) local authorities.

Nick Herbert: In 2010-11, central Government funding to the police service in England and Wales is around £9.6 billion. A further £3.2 billion is raised through the police precept component of council tax and police forces also generate a smaller amount of income for themselves, for example by charging event organisers for policing.

Police: Firearms

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will take steps to collate figures on the annual number of negligent discharges from police firearms in England and Wales.

Nick Herbert: There are no current plans for the Home Office to collect data or figures on the number of negligent discharges from authorised police firearms officers in England and Wales. This information may be obtained directly from individual chief officers.

Police: Manpower

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed  (a) in total and  (b) in each police authority area (i) on the latest date for which figures are available and (ii) in each of the last 13 years; and what estimate she has made of the likely number of police officers in each such area in each of the next four years.

Nick Herbert: holding answer 15 July 2010
	The available data are provided in the following tables.
	The estimate of the likely number of police officers and police officers in each of the next four years is not available centrally. These decisions are made by the Chief Constable and the Police Authority.
	
		
			  Police  officer strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  by police force as at 31 March  19 97 to 31 March 2009 
			   31 March  each year 
			  Police f orce  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001( 3)  2002  2003 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,976 2,999 2,934 2,960 3,096 3,149 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,079 1,041 1,028 1,036 1,069 1,106 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,291 1,274 1,237 1,296 1,362 1,384 
			 Cheshire 2,046 2,042 2,071 2,011 2,002 2,059 2,119 
			 Cleveland 1,459 1,483 1,416 1,404 1,407 1,461 1,582 
			 Cumbria 1,144 1,164 1,126 1,084 1,048 1,100 1,140 
			 Derbyshire 1,791 1,772 1,759 1,777 1,823 1,848 2,003 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,962 2,887 2,841 2,934 3,053 3,202 
			 Dorset 1,284 1,310 1,279 1,306 1,354 1,381 1,416 
			 Durham 1,461 1,515 1,568 1,558 1,595 1,614 1,651 
			 Essex 2,961 2,928 2,891 2,806 2,887 2,946 2,989 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,104 1,104 1,114 1,173 1,183 1,227 
			 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,949 6,810 6,795 6,909 7,217 7,343 
			 Hampshire 3,452 3,490 3,473 3,419 3,435 3,480 3,668 
			 Hertfordshire 1,759 1,740 1,724 1,767 1,922 1,825 1,957 
			 Humberside 2,045 2,021 1,974 1,932 1,917 2,058 2,105 
			 Kent 3,260 3,251 3,201 3,204 3,319 3,355 3,487 
			 Lancashire 3,247 3,257 3,245 3,179 3,255 3,304 3,339 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 1,983 1,993 1,993 2,033 2,100 2,114 
			 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,191 1,140 1,115 1,202 1,198 1,221 
			 London, City of 859 825 778 732 703 764 808 
			 Merseyside 4,230 4,216 4,211 4,085 4,081 4,125 4,099 
			 Metropolitan Police 26,677 26,094 26,073 25,485 24,878 26,223 27,984 
			 Norfolk 1,432 1,430 1,381 1,381 1,420 1,468 1,499 
			 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,169 1,137 1,117 1,157 1,214 1,210 
			 Northumbria 3,677 3,769 3,840 3,788 3,857 3,929 3,943 
			 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,367 1,337 1,283 1,305 1,417 1,444 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,323 2,225 2,204 2,212 2,330 2,411 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,182 3,168 3,163 3,197 3,199 3,183 
			 Staffordshire 2,211 2,292 2,238 2,170 2,129 2,133 2,202 
			 Suffolk 1,180 1,186 1,190 1,145 1,133 1,203 1,253 
			 Surrey 1,620 1,608 1,662 1,785 2,066 1,992 1,906 
			 Sussex 3,085 2,996 2,847 2,822 2,855 2,893 2,989 
			 Thames Valley 3,695 3,776 3,748 3,740 3,703 3,762 3,833 
			 Warwickshire 926 924 908 900 926 969 997 
			 West Mercia 2,040 2,010 2,025 1,887 1,951 2,018 2,256 
			 West Midlands 7,113 7,156 7,321 7,194 7,423 7,681 7,751 
			 West Yorkshire 5,209 5,155 4,982 4,822 4,815 4,889 5,029 
			 Wiltshire 1,154 1,156 1,151 1,118 1,120 1,157 1,158 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,005 1,002 1,026 1,040 1,055 1,132 1,149 
			 Gwent 1,243 1,233 1,247 1,264 1,274 1,333 1,341 
			 North Wales 1,369 1,396 1,391 1,403 1,444 1,506 1,539 
			 South Wales 2,976 2,986 2,981 2,926 3,100 3,222 3,239 
			 Total England and Wales 125,051 124,756 123,841 121,956 123,313 127,267 131,426 
		
	
	
		
			   31 March  each year 
			  Police  f orce  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,401 3,384 3,389 3,375 3,339 3,303 
			 Bedfordshire 1,181 1,215 1,198 1,185 1,174 1,219 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,400 1,402 1,430 1,381 1,358 1,414 
			 Cheshire 2,177 2,186 2,174 2,192 2,124 2,123 
			 Cleveland 1,687 1,676 1,677 1,713 1,663 1,756 
			 Cumbria 1,222 1,232 1,230 1,244 1,228 1,257 
			 Derbyshire 2,070 2,070 2,046 2,023 2,076 2,119 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,283 3,369 3,493 3,476 3,486 3,518 
			 Dorset 1,433 1,450 1,485 1,492 1,482 1,463 
			 Durham 1,685 1,718 1,699 1,683 1,605 1,566 
			 Essex 3,098 3,190 3,279 3,297 3,346 3,454 
			 Gloucestershire 1,284 1,291 1,289 1,303 1,338 1,370 
			 Greater Manchester 8,042 8,041 7,959 7,887 7,931 8,124 
			 Hampshire 3,706 3,725 3,707 3,796 3,807 3,700 
			 Hertfordshire 2,086 2,104 2,126 2,159 2,137 2,117 
			 Humberside 2,213 2,230 2,224 2,227 2,216 2,078 
			 Kent 3,576 3,586 3,599 3,664 3,644 3,716 
			 Lancashire 3,550 3,551 3,583 3,566 3,609 3,653 
			 Leicestershire 2,277 2,283 2,250 2,225 2,212 2,338 
			 Lincolnshire 1,228 1,221 1,213 1,221 1,178 1,204 
			 London, City of 853 876 869 854 817 804 
			 Merseyside 4,122 4,317 4,269 4,413 4,449 4,462 
			 Metropolitan Police 29,735 30,710 30,536 30,710 31,014 32,121 
			 Norfolk 1,510 1,544 1,557 1,565 1,526 1,644 
			 Northamptonshire 1,239 1,267 1,317 1,281 1,264 1,301 
			 Northumbria 4,040 4,048 3,983 3,917 3,928 4,028 
			 North Yorkshire 1,529 1,543 1,636 1,654 1,560 1,435 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,484 2,502 2,477 2,410 2,334 2,380 
			 South Yorkshire 3,279 3,265 3,255 3,254 3,172 3,017 
			 Staffordshire 2,266 2,280 2,272 2,288 2,229 2,189 
			 Suffolk 1,304 1,313 1,300 1,342 1,308 1,280 
			 Surrey 1,913 1,915 1,922 1,914 1,904 1,824 
			 Sussex 3,039 3,044 3,092 3,077 3,032 3,163 
			 Thames Valley 4,034 4,114 4,229 4,197 4,112 4,251 
			 Warwickshire 1,008 1,011 1,032 1,059 1,017 975 
			 West Mercia 2,355 2,367 2,351 2,400 2,433 2,436 
			 West Midlands 7,887 8,056 8,097 8,173 8,315 8,559 
			 West Yorkshire 5,275 5,631 5,644 5,655 5,744 5,787 
			 Wiltshire 1,217 1,222 1,219 1,204 1,202 1,212 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,160 1,174 1,182 1,177 1,181 1,176 
			 Gwent 1,372 1,438 1,467 1,493 1,474 1,432 
			 North Wales 1,603 1,652 1,617 1,591 1,566 1,578 
			 South Wales 3,279 3,281 3,263 3,297 3,194 3,103 
			 Total England and Wales 137,105 139,495 139,633 140,032 139,728 141,647 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items (2) Prior to 2002-03, figures excluded officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore for comparative purposes, all figures shown exclude officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces.

Public Spending Control

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 1-2WS, on public spending control, under which budgetary headings she expects her Department to make savings of £55 million in the fiscal year 2010-11.

Nick Herbert: The Treasury have confirmed that the Home Office should expect to receive half of the £110 million of capital end year flexibility upon which its capital plans for 2010-11 were based. This means that reductions of around £55 million will need to be made in-year. This will be achieved by bearing down on costs across a range of Home Office programmes and projects.

Sexual Offences: Travel Restrictions

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign travel orders have been issued under section 114 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 since the Act came into force.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 15 July 2010
	According to the latest data published by the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangement (MAPPA) there have been 18 foreign travel orders issued since the Sexual Offences Act 2003 came into force. The following table provides a yearly breakdown:
	
		
			  Sexual Offences Act Orders 
			   Number of foreign travel orders (FO) granted 
			 2004-05 1 
			 2005-06 1 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 1 
			 2008-09 12

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Electoral Register: Expenditure

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent per head by each local authority on electoral registration in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: I have today placed in the Library of the House a table that gives, for each local authority in England, the net current expenditure per head reported on registration of electors in 2008-09.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he plans to change the requirement that all new homes are zero carbon by 2016.

Grant Shapps: I have long endorsed the concept of zero carbon new homes from 2016. I recognise the importance for the industry to have a clear definition as soon as possible and we are currently working on this.

Housing: Construction

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to encourage an increase in the level of housebuilding.

Andrew Stunell: The Government are committed to increasing housing supply from current levels.
	The previous Government's model of top-down housing targets failed to deliver: in 2009 just 118,000 completions were achieved, the lowest level of house building in England since the Second World War. On 6 July we revoked regional spatial strategies and regional housing targets and passed power back to local communities. Instead of going against the grain of local opinion and creating opposition to imposed new housing, we will increase housing supply by introducing powerful fiscal incentives so that communities benefit directly from housing growth. We are confident that our approach to housing, which rebalances power from central government to local authorities and local people, and combines this with powerful incentives for local authorities, will deliver the housing that communities want and need. We will set out further details on the timetable for introducing incentives in due course.

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) briefing note on Impact of HM Treasury announcement on HCA spending dated 25 May 2010, when he expects the HCA to announce its decision on the allocation of remaining uncommitted funding for  (a) the National Affordable Housing programme,  (b) Kickstart Round 2 and  (c) Local Authority New Build programme.

Grant Shapps: The coalition Government remain strongly committed to reducing the United Kingdom's budget deficit and the announcement by the Chief Secretary on 5 July confirmed that the Department has agreed to a £220 million reduction in its claim for end year flexibility this year. Given public sector borrowing in 2010-11 was forecast to hit £167 billion such levels of spending on 'borrowed money' was unsustainable-contributing to the forecast £1.4 trillion of public debt by 2014. However, the Government remain committed to the provision of affordable housing and have been able to secure £1.25 billion of the previous Administration's £1.5 billion Housing Pledge.
	This will enable the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to meet all existing contractual commitments and will be able to progress some programmes that have been paused while the funding position was under review. The HCA's regional offices will be assessing which other schemes can be progressed with the aim of maximising affordable housing and achieving best value for money. The objective is to give interested parties clarity as quickly as possible.

Housing: Regeneration

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what decisions he has taken on the future of Housing Market Renewal Initiative funding in Liverpool, Walton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: Future plans for programmes such as Housing Market Renewal will be set out by the Government after the spending review later in the year.

Local Government Services: Voluntary Organisations

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what future role he envisages for the voluntary sector in  (a) supporting local communities in accessing public services and  (b) the provision and development of local services.

Bob Neill: The voluntary and community sector has an important role to play in helping people to create the Big Society in their neighbourhood, where local people feel empowered to bring about the changes they know their communities need and they come together to change the things they care about.
	The Government will continue to give new powers to neighbourhoods, including greater control over their finances and new rights to take over state-run services, and will work with the community-led voluntary sector to identify and remove unnecessary regulation and barriers which hinder its work.

Local Government: Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will meet representatives of Shrewsbury Town Council to discuss  (a) the devolution of additional powers and responsibilities from Shropshire Unitary Authority and  (b) means of improving value for money of local authority services.

Bob Neill: The Coalition's programme for government sets out a radical localist vision where powers are passed not merely to councils but down further to communities, neighbourhoods and individuals. In any place it is for the councils democratically accountable to local people to decide what arrangements for devolving powers is most suitable for their area.
	I will, of course, be happy to meet the hon. Gentlemen and representatives of his Town Council.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have renegotiated the terms of their mortgage in the last 12 months  (a) following receipt of government-funded help and advice and  (b) in total.

Grant Shapps: Communities and Local Government does not hold information on the number of people who have renegotiated mortgage terms with their lender as a result of Government help and advice. However, at least 110,000 households have received advice on mortgage problems through the Citizens Advice Bureau or their local authority in the last year. Latest data shows that 20,254 households approached their local authority for advice in relation to the Mortgage Rescue Scheme by the end of March 2010.
	In the interests of transparency, on 20 July I am publishing a report commissioned by the previous Government yet never published. The Professor Muellbauer report "Modelling and Forecasting UK Mortgage Arrears and Possessions" indicates that in a worst case scenario there could be 175,000 repossessions by 2012. However the coalition Government are committed to ensuring that interest rates remain low for as long as possible. This will be achieved by tackling the £155 billion deficit which will help enable homeowners to stay in their own homes and avoid repossession through ongoing lower interest rates. The Government believe this measure will prevent repossessions better than any other individual scheme.
	An evaluation of the Mortgage Rescue and Homeowners Support schemes will be published shortly. I have reviewed the repossession schemes offered by Communities and Local Government, to ensure that they provide the best support for homeowners and value for money for the taxpayer. I can confirm that the Mortgage Rescue and Homeowners Mortgage Support schemes remain available as a last resort to homeowners facing the threat of repossession. The Homeowners Mortgage Support scheme will end, as planned, at the end of the financial year. I will be considering the longer term role for the Mortgage Rescue scheme as part of the Spending Review.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will consider the merits of local development orders in place of alternative Article 4 directions to provide flexibility in the regulation of houses of multiple occupation.

Bob Neill: The Minister for Housing and Local Government outlined our proposed approach to the treatment of houses in multiple occupation within the planning system on 17 June 2010.
	We are currently considering a number of matters that have been raised in relation to those proposals. The question of whether LDOs or Article 4 directions are the most suitable tool for managing HMOs on a targeted basis is part of that consideration.
	Notwithstanding, as mentioned in the Budget 2010 (HC61) we intend to promote the greater use of local development orders where appropriate as part of a shift to a more locally driven planning regime.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons Oxford city council was not invited to contribute to the targeted consultation on the changing of planning rules for houses in multiple occupation.

Bob Neill: In considering the proposed changes to the planning rules for houses in multiple occupation we approached a number of representative bodies for their comments. These included the Local Government Association, and the Planning Officer Society.
	We did not invite individual local authorities to comment. However, any comments made by individual authorities will of course be taken into account.

Multiple Occupation: Licensing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria were used to determine participants in his Department's targeted consultation on the changing of planning rules for houses in multiple occupation.

Bob Neill: Following the statement by the Minister for Housing and Local Government, to the House on 17 June 2010 we have been engaged with discussions with key partners about our proposals in relation to the planning rules for HMOs.
	Those invited to participate were chosen on the basis of the interests they represented with the aim of covering all viewpoints identified in the earlier consultation.

Non-domestic Rates

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 529W, on non-domestic rates, and with reference to the Budget Red Book 2010 page 27, section 1.67, when the Government intends to bring forward legislation to provide for a temporary increase in small business rate relief; when guidance will be made available; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: The 22 June Budget announced the Government's intention to cancel certain backdated business rates and increase the level of small business rate relief for one year, from October 2010. I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 July 2010,  Official Report, column 908W, on backdated business rates bills. In respect of small business rate relief, the necessary statutory instruments were laid before Parliament on the 28 June. They are the Non-Domestic Rating (Small Business Rate Relief) (Amendment) (England) Order (SI 2010/1655), and the Non-Domestic (Collection and Enforcement) (Local Lists) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations (SI 2010/1656). Local authorities are responsible for the administration of this measure. My officials will work closely with them on implementation.

Non-domestic Rates: Ports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was received from port companies under the previous Government's eight-year payment scheme for back-dated business rate demands.

Bob Neill: The information collected by the Department on business rates does not allow port companies to be separately identified.

Peat

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that his Department's Minerals Planning Guidance on peat extraction takes account of the Government's policies on climate change and international commitments on biodiversity.

Bob Neill: In the coalition agreement the Government stated that they will publish and present to Parliament a simple and consolidated national planning framework covering all forms of development. We will make an announcement on how we propose to take forward the national planning framework and the implications for specific areas of planning policy.

Peat

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will issue guidance to Natural England on its procedures for dealing with applications for peat extraction.

Bob Neill: The Department has no plans to issue guidance to Natural England on its procedure for dealing with applications for peat extraction. Section 54 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced for most statutory consultees, a duty to respond to consultation and a requirement for those statutory consultees to produce an annual report on their performance in responding to consultation.

Public Houses: Property Transfer

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2010,  Official Report, column 531W, on public houses, how many communities the Asset Transfer Unit has assisted to take ownership or management of their local public house to date; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Asset Transfer Unit has so far assisted one community specifically on taking over their local public house, but its knowledge and ability to provide tailored support (from external partners or through consultancy services) ensures that it is in a position to respond to other similar enquiries should it be approached.
	The Government's commitment to introduce powers to help communities save local facilities threatened with closure, which could include public houses of importance to particular communities, is set out in 'The Coalition: our programme for government'. Options for achieving this objective most effectively are under consideration, and we will be discussing this further with all those with an interest across the sectors.

Regional Planning and Development: West Midlands

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2010,  Official Report, column 26W, on regional planning and development; West Midlands, whether the Government responses to the  (a) Second and  (b) Third Report for the West Midlands Regional Select Committee of Session 2009-10 will be made before the summer recess.

Bob Neill: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 15 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 37-40WS.

RENEW North Staffs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) land and  (b) other capital assets have been acquired (i) by RENEW North Staffs and (ii) by others using RENEW North Staffs funding each year since RENEW North Staffs was established; and how much has been spent in each case.

Bob Neill: For each year the property acquisition and land acquisition by RENEW and its partners is as follows:
	
		
			   Property RENEW  Stoke city council  RSL  Land (ha) 
			 2003-04 1 64 0 2.1 
			 2004-05 0 217 0 0.171 
			 2005-06 0 345 18 0.4 
			 2006-07 1 287 12 1.26 
			 2007-08 0 362 104 0 
			 2008-09 0 361 91 0 
			 2009-10 3 216 67 0 
		
	
	The cost of the individual acquisitions is not readily available in the format requested.

RENEW North Staffs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding has been received by RENEW North Staffs in each year since it was established.

Bob Neill: RENEW North Staffordshire has received funding as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 5,435,978 
			 2004-05 7,001,039 
			 2005-06 19,299,999 
			 2006-07 29,000,000 
			 2007-08 38,410,000 
			 2008-09 39,960,000 
			 2009-10 37,956,000 
			 Total 177,063,016

Rented Housing: Empty Property

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of vacant properties in the  (a) social and  (b) private rented sector in (i) Leeds and (ii) Leeds North West.

Andrew Stunell: Information is not collected by constituency.
	The Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) collects information from local authorities on the number of vacant dwellings within each local authority area as at 1 April. Information is not collected on the number of vacant dwellings in the private rented sector.
	The Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) is collected by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and collects information on vacant dwellings from registered social landlords as at 31 March. However, the number of vacant dwellings recorded includes general needs dwellings only.
	A table showing the number of vacant dwellings owned by local authorities and Registered Social Landlords in each local authority area as at 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2009 respectively has been placed in the Library of the House.

Repossession Orders

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what his Department's most recent estimate is of the number of repossessions in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011 and  (c) 2012;
	(2)  what his Department's estimate of the number of repossessions in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011 and  (c) 2012 was immediately prior to 6 May 2010.

Grant Shapps: In the interests of transparency, on 20 July I am publishing a report commissioned by the previous Government yet never published on "Modelling and Forecasting UK Mortgage Arrears and Possession". This report presents the findings of research that the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit commissioned from Professor John Muellbauer and Dr Janine Aron. The project developed a model aimed at improving our understanding of the drivers of mortgage arrears and possessions and to predict how arrears and possessions may move over the next few years in different economic scenarios.
	The report indicates that in a worst case scenario there could be 175,000 repossessions by 2012. However the coalition Government are committed to ensuring that interest rates remain low for as long as possible. This will be achieved by tackling the £155 billion deficit which will help enable homeowners to stay in their own homes and avoid repossession through ongoing lower interest rates. The Government believe this measure will prevent repossessions better than any other individual scheme.
	In addition, the Council for Mortgage Lenders forecast for repossessions in 2010 remains at 53,000 but maybe lower.

JUSTICE

Courts: Closures

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 162W, on courts: closures, for what reason the target for actual court utilisation has been set at 80 per cent.; and what the target for planned court utilisation is.

Jonathan Djanogly: A national utilisation rate of 80% allows sufficient capacity to accommodate fluctuations in work load as well as capacity for courtroom time that is unable to be used due to ineffective trials etc. while ensuring that the court estate is well utilised. There is no target for planned court utilisation.

Departmental Location

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether he plans to relocate  (a) civil servants and  (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he plans to relocate  (a) civil servants and  (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: In the March 2010 Budget, the Ministry of Justice was tasked with relocating 1,000 posts out of London with 500 posts expected to move outside the south-east of England. No final decisions have yet been taken about the destination of any moves or the number of posts to be relocated to specific locations. The location of public sector activity and plans for the Government's estate will be considered alongside other public spending issues over the course of the spending review.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Crispin Blunt: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning) on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W.

Magistrates Courts

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reason he proposes to merge Lambeth and Southwark local justice area with Croydon and Sutton local justice area; and what consideration he has given to merging the former local justice area with one geographically nearer.

Jonathan Djanogly: The rationale behind the proposed local justice area (LJA) mergers in London is set out on page nine of consultation paper HMCS CP 12/10.
	Although the potential reduction to the HMCS estate provides a compelling reason for proposed LJA changes, there is a wider context that relates to the need for HMCS to continue to be able to deliver an efficient magistrates courts service in London to a good standard, at a lower cost.
	The LJA amalgamations being consulted upon are not however just borne out of immediate necessity. HMCS has also considered the longer-term and believes that the proposed nine LJA structure creates a strong and flexible operational foundation upon which likely future estates and business strategies can be built.
	In formulating the London LJA proposals, HMCS had regard to such issues as the wider estates strategy, the capacity within the courts in the area, the likely size of combined benches, transport links, projected workloads and existing/historic operational connections.
	Alternative amalgamations were considered. However it was concluded that the proposed South London LJA represented the optimal operational fit (when viewed across London as a whole), creating an LJA of a similar size to others with reasonable transportation links between the component boroughs. Account was also taken of existing operational connections-the three existing LJAs, for example, have already established one judicial leadership group where the judiciary come together to make decisions for the benefit of the three LJAs as a whole.

Magistrates Courts

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many cases were processed in magistrates courts in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) England and  (c) the West Midlands in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The number of court proceedings processed in the magistrates courts in England and Wales, England, and the West Midlands Local Criminal Justice Board area, from 2007 to 2009, are given in the table. Statistics are not available prior to 2007 on a comparable basis.
	
		
			  Completed court proceedings in the magistrates courts, England and Wales, 2007-09 
			   Area  Total number of completed criminal proceedings (including breaches)  Total number of completed non-criminal proceedings  Total number of completed court proceedings 
			 2007 England and Wales 1,890,000 870,000 2,760,000 
			  England 1,766,000 814,000 2,581,000 
			  West midlands 133,000 66,000 199,000 
			  
			 2008 England and Wales 2,031,000 977,000 3,008,000 
			  England 1,909,000 917,000 2,826,000 
			  West midlands 94,000 47,000 141,000 
			  
			 2009 (provisional) England and Wales 1,909,000 981,000 2,890,000 
			  England 1,826,000 933,000 2,759,000 
			  West midlands 107,000 66,000 173,000 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are given to the nearest thousand. 2. Prior to 2007, data were collected from different administrative systems and are not directly comparable with those given in the table. For this reason, the table shows the figures from 2007 only.  Source: Completed Proceedings, HM Courts Service Performance Database ('OPT')

Magistrates Courts: Bradford

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 165W, on magistrates courts: Bradford, what the planned courtroom utilisation rate was in  (a) Bradford and  (b) Bingley magistrates court in the latest period for which figure are available; what the reasons were for not meeting that rate; and what estimate he has made of the number of hours spent on trials which were classified as ineffective which contributed to the under-utilisation of each court in that period.

Jonathan Djanogly: HM Courts Service does not have planned court utilisation rates. For the financial year 2009-10 the utilisation rate for Bradford was 64%. The reason that Bradford and Bingley (with an utilisation rate of 70%) did not reach a higher utilisation rate was due to an over supply of courtrooms as compared to the work load.
	HM Courts Service does not record the amount of time spent on ineffective trials.

Magistrates Courts: Greater London

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 167W, on magistrates' courts: Greater London, what international jurisdiction work HM Courts Service proposes to be heard at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court; and what estimate has been made of the number of courtrooms such work will require.

Jonathan Djanogly: The international jurisdiction work referred to in my previous answer primarily comprises hearings under the Extradition Act 2003.
	Part I of the Act deals with requests to extradite foreign nationals brought to court following arrest under a European Arrest Warrant (EAW). Part II of the Act deals with requests instigated by states not signatories to the treaty adopting Part I EAW proceedings. Workload under both parts of the Act has been increasing significantly over recent years and is set to continue to do so.
	A number of options for expansion at Camberwell Green have been developed, one of which includes an additional two courtrooms that would be used specifically to accommodate the increase in such applications.

Magistrates Courts: Greater London

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 167W, on magistrates courts: Central London, what estimate HM Courts Service has made of the likely sale price of Tower Bridge Magistrates Court; whether any expressions of interest in purchasing the property have been received; and whether the property is on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.

Jonathan Djanogly: The last recorded valuation undertaken in April 2009 estimates the potential sale value of the entire Tower Bridge site to be in excess of £4 million.
	HMCS is not aware of, nor has any recorded indication of, receiving any expressions of interest in purchasing the magistrates court.
	The property has grade 2 listed status.

Prison Sentences

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 170-71W, on prison sentences, how many  (a) immediate custodial sentences and  (b) suspended sentences were given for each category of summary non-motoring offences in each of the last two years.

Crispin Blunt: The requested information is provided in the following table.
	The most recent two years for which data are available is 2007-08. Data for 2009 will become available when "Sentencing Statistics 2009" is published later in the year.
	
		
			  Total number of immediate custodial sentences of less than 12 months and suspended sentences for summary non-motoring offences, 2007-08 
			   Suspended sentence  Immediate custody 
			  2007   
			 Adulteration of food, drugs, etc. 0 1 
			 Assault on a constable 1,157 1,927 
			 Common assault, etc. 3,991 6,161 
			 Betting, Gaming and Lotteries 1 1 
			 Brothel keeping 5 10 
			 Cruelty to animals 50 52 
			 Offences in relation to dogs 11 14 
			 Education Acts 63 22 
			 Financial offences 1 0 
			 Firearms Act 1968 and other firearms acts 45 51 
			 Fishery laws 1 0 
			 Nuisances, other than those caused by vehicles 0 1 
			 Offences against public order 646 1,220 
			 Interference with motor vehicle 51 326 
			 Stealing and unauthorised taking of a conveyance 171 753 
			 Aggravated vehicle taking-criminal damage of £5,000 or under 137 373 
			 Indecent exposure 0 1 
			 Drunkenness, simple 0 3 
			 Drunkenness, with aggravation 5 6 
			 Other offences against intoxicating liquor laws 1 0 
			 Criminal damage, £5,000 or less, and malicious damage 388 1,110 
			 Social security offences 90 38 
			 Offences under Army 1955 or Armed Forces Act 1966 0 1 
			 Reserve Forces Acts 1980 and 1996 (so far as they concern the naval and marine forces) 0 1 
			 Air Force Act 1955 1 0 
			 Disorderly behaviour 0 6 
			 Other offences against certain local regulations 4 3 
			 Kerb-crawling 25 43 
			 Offence by prostitutes 3 0 
			 Public health offences 2 0 
			 Railway offences 4 13 
			 Motor vehicle licences 0 1 
			 Stage carriage and public service vehicles offences 1 0 
			 Sexual offenders-miscellaneous 0 2 
			 Begging 0 9 
			 Found in enclosed premises, possessing picklocks 6 60 
			 Wild Birds Protection Acts 1 1 
			 Video Recordings Act 1984 0 1 
			 Drug offences 3 47 
			 Offences against Immigration Act 1971 3 53 
			 Other summary offences (excluding motoring) 399 964 
			 Total (summary excluding motoring) 7,266 13,275 
			
			  2008   
			 Assault on a constable 1,018 1,778 
			 Common assault, etc. 4,413 6,698 
			 Betting, Gaming and Lotteries 4 8 
			 Brothel keeping 11 20 
			 Cruelty to animals 65 71 
			 Offences in relation to dogs 6 10 
			 Education Acts 58 28 
			 Firearms Act 1968 and other firearms acts 30 32 
			 Fishery laws 0 2 
			 Offences against public order 637 1,382 
			 Interference with motor vehicle 67 298 
			 Stealing and unauthorised taking of a conveyance 117 691 
			 Aggravated vehicle taking-criminal damage of £5,000 or under 163 350 
			 Impersonation, false or misleading statements, failing to give information 0 1 
			 Drunkenness, with aggravation 7 6 
			 Other offences against intoxicating liquor laws 1 3 
			 Criminal damage, £5,000 or less, and malicious damage 425 1,253 
			 Social security offences 133 31 
			 Offences under Army 1955 or Armed Forces Act 1966 0 1 
			 Disorderly behaviour 1 5 
			 Other offences against certain local regulations 3 2 
			 Kerb-crawling 20 42 
			 Public health offences 1 0 
			 Railway offences 1 11 
			 Stage carriage and public service vehicles offences 1 4 
			 Sexual offenders-miscellaneous 0 1 
			 Unlawful possession 0 1 
			 Begging 0 1 
			 Found in enclosed premises, possessing picklocks 11 55 
			 Wild Birds Protection Acts 1 0 
			 Video Recordings Act 1984 0 2 
			 Drug offences 7 47 
			 Offences against Immigration Act 1971 6 40 
			 Other summary offences (excluding motoring) 489 1,212 
			 Total (summary excluding motoring) 7,696 14,086 
			  Notes:  1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 2. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. 3. These data have been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. These data are presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. 4. Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July, and August 2008.  Source:  Justice Statistics-Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

Prison Service: Ex-servicemen

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what protocols have been agreed between the Prison Service and the Ministry of Defence on the identification of service personnel in prisons since 1998;
	(2)  if Ministers in his Department will meet practitioners in the criminal justice system who specialise in work with ex-service personnel to discuss the matter of ex-service personnel in prison.

Crispin Blunt: Prisoners are routinely asked for details of their employment history as part of the prison induction process. Prison assessment procedures have been revised to include more specific questions to identify offenders who have served in the armed forces.
	We continue to work closely with the Ministry of Defence, voluntary and community sector organisations and across Government to raise awareness among ex-service personnel of the help and support available to them and their families while they serve their sentence and prepare for release.
	A data processing agreement was formed in 2009 for the specific purpose of sharing and processing personal data from MOD and MoJ records in order to establish the number of prisoners in England and Wales who have formerly served in one of the UK armed forces. This is estimated to be approximately 3% of the prison population.
	The Ministry of Justice is also represented on the Ex Service Offenders Working Group, which is chaired by the MOD.
	Ministers will meet practitioners who specialise in this work in the course of their duties.

Tribunals: Disability Living Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the annual cost to the public purse of tribunals for disability living allowance awards was where an award was  (a) made and  (b) not made was in each of the last five years.

Jonathan Djanogly: The first-tier tribunal (social security and child support) administers disability living allowance (DLA) appeals. The Tribunals Service is only able to provide figures from 2006-07. Prior to this, the Appeals Service, an agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was responsible for the appeals system. The DWP is unable to provide any data.
	The cost of DLA appeals is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Costs of tribunal where an award was made  Costs of tribunal where an award was not made 
			 2009-10 5,275,402 9,603,787 
			 2008-09 6,410,165 13,167,617 
			 2007-08 7,657,723 12,831,279 
			 2006-07 9,122,863 13,297,159

PRIME MINISTER

Israel: Official Visits

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit the state of Israel; and if he will make a statement.

David Cameron: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 3 June 2010,  Official Report, column 99W.

National Security Council: Meetings

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the agenda for the most recent meeting of the National Security Council;
	(2)  who attended the most recent meeting of the National Security Council.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 26 May 2010. A copy of the transcript is available on the No. 10 website at:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/press-briefings/2010/05/aftemoon-press-briefing-from-26-may-2010-51027

Official Hospitality

Pete Wishart: To ask the Prime Minister which guests have been invited to  (a) Chequers,  (b) Chevening House and  (c) Dorneywood in each of the last 12 months.

David Cameron: A list of guests who have received official hospitality at Chequers is published on an annual basis and is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2009-10 will be published in the usual way. The use of Chevening is a matter for the Deputy Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the trustees who manage the estate. The use of Dorneywood is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the trustees who manage the estate.

Overseas Trade

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister whether he intends to appoint a Minister with responsibility for promoting British trade and industry abroad.

David Cameron: I have made clear my views on the importance of increasing trade and investment to secure a strong and sustained economic recovery. The Business Minister (Mr Prisk) has already been involved in promoting trade with countries in Asia and in developing relationships with investors and will be further supported across Government.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Food: Waste

Anne Main: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent estimate the House of Commons Commission has made of the monetary value of the food not consumed from the House of Commons in the last 12 months.

Stuart Bell: The cost of food waste for the latest period for which records are available, from April 2009 to March 2010, is estimated to be some £70,000, or approximately 4% of food cost. This is within industry norms.

House of Commons: Buildings

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission for what reasons the railings in New Palace Yard were painted during a period when the House was sitting; and for what reasons such work was not scheduled to be carried out during the summer recess.

Stuart Bell: The railings in New Palace Yard were originally planned to be painted during the summer recess, but this non-disruptive work has been brought forward in view of the shortened time now available. Other maintenance tasks in the area, which would disrupt business, will take place over the recess.

House of Commons: Parking

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission when the refurbishment of the ventilation system for the underground car park is scheduled to  (a) begin and  (b) be completed.

Stuart Bell: This programme is due to start in early 2012 and is scheduled for completion in late 2013. The programme requires a detailed survey, design and procurement processes before commencement. The programme will be managed to ensure minimum impact on the users.

Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit

Andrew Turner: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent representations he has received on the level of charges levied by the Board of the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit; and if the Commission will review the effect of such charges on the ability of  (a) Isle of Wight Radio and  (b) other small independent broadcasters' to use short clips of parliamentary business in news reports.

Stuart Bell: No representations have been received. Television coverage during the first 14 days is licensed and distributed by PARBUL; television coverage after 14 days and all audio coverage is licensed and distributed by the Parliamentary Recording Unit. The licensing portion of the charge to broadcasters for the provision of television coverage of parliamentary proceedings after 14 days has now been ended, leaving only the duplicating charge. This will give independent broadcasters easier access to parliamentary proceedings. Audio-only content for broadcast radio use within the 14 day period will be treated in the same way.

Poultry: Animal Welfare

Luciana Berger: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission whether any farms from which eggs are sourced for the House's catering outlets practise beak-trimming.

Stuart Bell: All fresh eggs are sourced from British higher-welfare standard flocks assured under the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme and the BEIC British Lion code of practice, where beak-trimming is carried out in accordance with a code of best practice. Pasteurised egg products come from Belgium and are sourced from farms where beak trimming is carried out under the German regulatory KAT scheme, which is an equivalent European scheme for high standards of welfare in animal husbandry.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 1W, on departmental security, whether staff of Government departments who hold parliamentary passes may use each of the souvenir shops on the House of Commons portion of the parliamentary estate; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Bell: Staff of Government Departments who hold parliamentary passes have access to each of the souvenir shops on the House of Commons portion of the parliamentary estate.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Departmental Conferences

Robert Halfon: To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the expenditure of the Law Officers' Departments on  (a) organisation of and  (b) attendance at conferences in each year since 1997.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Tsol, AGO and HMCPSI( 1)  Serious Fraud Office( 2)  National Fraud Authority( 3)  Crown Prosecution Service( 4) 
			 1997-98 - 5,973 - - 
			 1998-99 8,029 10,517 - - 
			 1999-2000 6,622 13,596 - - 
			 2000-01 41,355 24,525 - - 
			 2001-02 12,068 55,260 - - 
			 2002-03 12,468 45,181 - - 
			 2003-04 19,505 19,170 - 1,262,298 
			 2004-05 21,958 78,800 - 983,860 
			 2005-06 11,992 42,295 - 1,259,419 
			 2006-07 16,953 79,675 - 1,287,949 
			 2007-08 16,463 28,628 - 1,096,130 
			 2008-09 22,667 36,977 3,826 1,110,876 
			 2009-10 12,721 26,956 80,360 905,259 
			 (1) It is not possible to provide separate information for the costs of  (a) organising and  (b) attending conferences, or information for earlier years, without incurring disproportionate cost. The figures include the costs of training events such as mandatory professional training for lawyers employed by the Department. (2) The costs for the organisation of conferences are covered in the overall costs shown above and not recorded separately, an exact breakdown could be determined only at a disproportionate cost. (3) The NFA was established in 2008. In 2009-10, a series of events including Regional Summits, Action Fraud presentations and NFA staff conferences (at external venues) were held by the NFA. The Regional Summits, a series of one day events, were held in Newcastle, Manchester and London (July 2009) and Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham and Cardiff (December 2009). Figures are based on organisational and attendance costs. Providing additional information, such as travel and subsistence, would be at a disproportionate cost. (4) Information is only recorded centrally on the costs of organising the main conferences that took place outside CPS buildings attended by civil servants, figures for attendance costs and all information before 2003-04 could be determined only at a disproportionate cost. Figures from 2006-07 also include expenditure by the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office (RCPO), which merged with the CPS on 1 January 2010.

Departmental Travel

Graham Evans: To ask the Attorney-General how much  (a) the Law Officers' Departments and  (b) their agency spent on travel for their employees in each year since 1997.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
			   NFA( 1)  SFO( 2)  CPS( 3)  Tsol( 4) 
			 1997-98 - 130,393 - - 
			 1998-99 - 111,467 - 74,000 
			 1999-2000 - 139,876 - 68,000 
			 2000-01 - 175,465 - 88,800 
			 2001-02 - 212,298 - 183,000 
			 2002-03 - 225,010 - 197,000 
			 2003-04 - 191,879 4,820,000 246,000 
			 2004-05 - 224,121 4,520,000 191,000 
			 2005-06 - 200,629 4,940,000 228,000 
			 2006-07 - 189,715 5,090,000 279,000 
			 2007-08 - 160,226 5,486,000 294,000 
			 2008-09 4,925 216,445 5,849,000 385,000 
			 2009-10 44,714 160,052 5,552,000 293,000 
			 (1) The travel cost for 2009-10 reflects the full year impact of NFA operations as it has grown in size and developed its programme of work. The data cover all reported travel costs including flights, rail, car travel (mileage). (2) The data include all costs for rail travel, air, car hire, mileage and taxis. (3) The figures provided from 05-06 include travel costs for the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Service (RCPO) who merged with the CPS on 1 January 2010. The data are taken from the Financial Management System and are available only from 2003-04 onwards, data for earlier years could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. The figures include road, rail and air travel, and also charges for car hire. The 2009-10 totals are subject to audit. (4) Figures cover the amount spent by the Treasury Solicitor's Department, Attorney-General's Office and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. The data prior to 1998-99 are not retained on the Department's accounting system, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate was not included within the Department until mid-2001. The data cover all reported travel costs including flights, rail and car travel.

Terrorism: Detainees

Dominic Raab: To ask the Attorney-General how many times the Crown Prosecution Service charged terrorist suspects under the threshold test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009; and how many times it has done so in 2010 to date.

Edward Garnier: According to their records, the Crown Prosecution Service used the threshold test to charge 14 terrorist suspects in 2007, six terrorist suspects in 2008 and one terrorist suspect in 2009. No suspects have been charged using the threshold test in 2010 to date.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Alexander Litvinenko

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had recent discussions with the government of the Russian Federation on the death of Alexander Litvinenko.

Jeremy Browne: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr MacShane) of 12 July 2010,  Official Report, column 516W.

Alexander Litvinenko

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the  (a) investigation of the death of Alexander Litvinenko and  (b) extradition of Andrei Lugovoi; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: Following the investigation into the death of Alexander Litvinenko, the Crown Prosecution Service on 22 May 2007 announced that it had found there is a case for Andrei Lugovoy to answer. He therefore remains liable for prosecution in the UK for the murder of Mr Litvinenko.

British Nationals Abroad: Sexual Offences

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are in place between the Government and foreign governments to share information on sex offenders who are British citizens.

Jeremy Browne: UK law enforcement shares properly risk-assessed information with international law enforcement agencies through Interpol, when there is a lawful need to do so. This is considered on a case by base basis. The responsibility for the Government's work to tackle child sex crimes lies with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, an arm of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

British Nationals Abroad: Sexual Offences

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role is of British embassies and consulates in the investigation and arrest of British citizens in cases of alleged offences of child sexual abuse committed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Browne: UK law enforcement in some cases does have a presence overseas. The responsibility for the Government's work to tackle child sex crimes lies with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre-an arm of the Special Organised Crime Agency.
	British embassies and consulates have a consular role after the arrest of a British national. Full details of the assistance we offer are available at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/when-things-go-wrong/arrest

Burma

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his overseas counterparts on the state of democracy in Burma.

Jeremy Browne: I raised Burma with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministers at the EU-ASEAN ministerial meeting on 26 May 2010, at which the Burmese Foreign Minister was present. I made clear that there was no prospect of planned elections being free and fair while Aung San Suu Kyi and more than 2100 other political prisoners remained in detention, and many opposition and ethnic groups were excluded from meaningful participation in the process. Burma was on the agenda of the G8 Summit attended by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 27 June 2010, and the Summit Communiqué underlined G8 leaders' concern at the lack of progress towards democracy in Burma. The Government will continue to raise Burma with international partners, and the issue will be high on the agenda during my forthcoming visit to south east Asia.

Chevening Scholarships

David Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many candidates for Chevening scholarships in 2010-11 have not yet been informed of the outcome of their application.

William Hague: The Chevening scholarships scheme is managed through our posts around the world and so this information is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost. The situation is fluid. For example, some candidates who had applied for a Chevening partnership scholarship may now be offered an award funded fully by the partner and the university. Some candidates may be offered an award if other candidates are unable to accept theirs. Posts have been keeping candidates as well informed as possible and expect all applicants to have confirmation in the next few weeks.

Colombia: Trade Unions

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps his Department has taken to assist trade unions in Colombia.

Jeremy Browne: The safety of trade unionists in Colombia remains of great concern to us. Our embassy in Colombia continues to visit those who are under threat and we make representations to the Colombian authorities in cases of violence or intimidation against trade unionists. We are also working with the UN on a research initiative to help improve trade union human rights protection and the development of positive labour relations.

Guatemala: Human Rights

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to ensure fulfilment of the provisions of the UN resolution A/HRC/14/L.19 on enforced or involuntary disappearances, with particular reference to Guatemala.

Jeremy Browne: The UK fully supports the need to protect all people from enforced disappearance and welcomes the adoption of the UN resolution, which was co-sponsored by Guatemala.
	Human rights is a key priority for our embassy in Guatemala City. We strongly support the work of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which works to assist Guatemala investigate violent criminal organisations believed to be responsible for widespread crime and paralysis of the country's judicial system. The UK has funded a number of projects in this area, including with the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation, which brings forensic science to the task of identifying the remains of people who disappeared during the internal armed conflict.

Hezbollah

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policy of exploring contacts with Hezbollah.

Alistair Burt: Our embassy in Beirut held very limited contacts with Hezbollah politicians before May 2010. We will be reviewing this issue, along with our wider Lebanon policy, in a careful and considered manner.

Horn of Africa

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will convene a summit in London to discuss the security situation in the Horn of Africa.

Henry Bellingham: The Government are very concerned by the security situation in the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia. International partners met in May 2010 to discuss the situation in Somalia at an international conference in Istanbul. A further conference is due to take place in Spain this autumn. The Government therefore have no plans to convene a summit in London at present.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take during the next 12 months at the UN on recognition by the UN of Israel as a Jewish state; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: A number of issues related to the Middle East are discussed on a monthly basis at the UN. We will continue to push for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1860 which calls for all the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognized borders. This has consistently been the UK position and the only long-term solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to develop relations with the government of Israel since his appointment; what steps he plans to take on this matter in the next six months; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Alistair Burt: The UK is in constant touch and dialogue with the Israeli Government.
	We remain determined to do everything possible to work towards a two state solution that achieves a viable and sovereign Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, with its right to live in peace and security recognised by all its neighbours. The proximity talks that are under way are more important than ever to help pave the way towards a comprehensive peace in the region.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined our commitment in his conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has also made this clear in the House.

Kashmir

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support a bilateral solution to the situation in Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the positive steps being taken by Pakistan and India to build trust and confidence between their countries. The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.

Kashmir

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of  (a) India and  (b) Pakistan on Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: India and Pakistan are longstanding and important friends of the UK. We have many significant links to both countries through Indian and Pakistani diaspora communities who live in the UK. We welcome the positive steps being taken by India and Pakistan to build trust and confidence between both countries.
	We regularly discuss Kashmir with both Indian and Pakistani Government officials and make clear our hope that they can make progress on the issue. But the long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, one which takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to mediate in finding one.

Kashmir

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the  (a) economic and  (b) political situation in Kashmir.

Alistair Burt: Kashmir's uncertain political future affects its economic prospects and this impacts upon investment and development opportunities on both sides of the Line of Control.
	The Governments of India and Pakistan are making efforts to normalise their relations and this includes the situation in Kashmir. It is for the Governments of India and Pakistan to determine the scope of their dialogue but any solution on the issue of Kashmir should take into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. The UK continues to call for an improvement in the human rights situation on both sides of the Line of Control and for an end to external support for violence in Kashmir. Funding from the UK supports human rights, conflict prevention, and peace building efforts on both sides of the Line of Control.

Kazakhstan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aims and objectives the Government has set for UK foreign policy on Kazakhstan.

Jeremy Browne: We want to strengthen our relationship with Kazakhstan. Energy security and supplies, together with the corresponding trade and investment opportunities, are particularly important. But there are many other areas where we are working to enhance co-operation. These include the financial and legal sectors, through language and vocational education links and on nuclear counter-proliferation issues. We will also continue to work closely with Kazakhstan on the broader international agenda. Not least through Kazakhstan's important role this year as chairman-in-office of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). We will continue to encourage and support Kazakhstan to meet the human rights and political standards to which it is committed as a member of organisations such as the UN and the OSCE.

Kazakhstan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on steps taken by the government of Kazakhstan to meet its commitment to implement reforms in respect of  (a) media freedom,  (b) religious freedom,  (c) internet law and  (d) human rights, democratisation and legislative reform in the first six months of its Chairmanship of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Jeremy Browne: We are encouraged that the existing parliamentary schedule in Kazakhstan includes draft legislation on accessibility to information, strengthening the role of the Ombudsman and the creation of a National Preventative Mechanism to oversee public monitoring of places of detention. But there remains considerable room for improvement including in respect of freedom of religion, expression, assembly and of the media, in particular legislation tightening state control of the internet. There is also scope for improvement in the legislation on elections, political parties and local government enacted in February 2009. We and international partners will continue to encourage the Kazakh authorities, both within and outside the framework of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, to press ahead with reforms, many of which they have identified as necessary.

Kazakhstan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on the upholding of democratic principles by Kazakhstan since his appointment.

Jeremy Browne: The UK consistently makes clear the importance it attaches to the human dimension of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE), including in respect of the obligations to which Kazakhstan has committed itself. I will be discussing these issues during my visit to Almaty for the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers of the OSCE on 16-17 July 2010.

Lebanon: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the security situation in South Lebanon, with particular reference to  (a) recent attacks on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon patrols in the region and  (b) Israeli military activity along the Lebanese border.

Alistair Burt: The security situation in southern Lebanon remains calm but fragile. We remain extremely concerned by the recent attacks against UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers on 29 June, 3 July, and 4 July. The UK joined with other Security Council members in agreeing a press statement which condemned such attacks and made clear the need for UNIFIL to be afforded the freedom of movement and security necessary to fulfil its mandate. Prior to this period however, as the UN Secretary General makes clear in his latest report (13th) on UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701, the security situation has been relatively quiet. I represented my concerns to the Lebanese Government during my visit to the region on 13-14 June 2010 and we hope for no repeat of this incident in the future.
	We are aware of reports of Israeli military activity along the border with Lebanon as well as repeated violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli overflights, which continue to occur. We call on both Israel and Lebanon to comply in full with UNSCR 1701 and to work to maintain the existing stability.

Lebanon: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the ability of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to carry out its peacekeeping duties in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Alistair Burt: The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) plays a vital and positive role in maintaining peace and security in southern Lebanon. However it faces a number of challenges, underlined by the recent attacks on 29 June, 3 July, and 4 July against its peacekeepers.
	The UK has joined with other (P5) Security Council members in agreeing a press statement which condemned such attacks and made clear the need for UNIFIL to be afforded freedom of movement and security necessary for it to fulfil its mandate.
	I also represented these concerns to the Lebanese Government, during my visit to the region on 13-14 June 2010 and we hope for no repeat of this incident in the future.

Overseas Students: Scholarships

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of British Embassy bursaries for foreign students to study in the UK in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funded four different award schemes in financial year 2009-10. The provisional outturn on each is as follows:
	Chevening scholarships: £18,761,108
	Chevening fellowships: £3,799,951
	Marshall scholarships: £2,218,151
	Commonwealth scholarships: £1,076,521.
	On 29 June my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary announced the FCO had reviewed programme spend. The FCO will maintain a substantial programme of scholarships to bring future decision takers and opinion-formers to the UK, while professionalising our current arrangements and targeting them on a smaller group of people. We will cut this year's programme by £10 million and seek (resources permitting) to sustain a smaller and more strategic programme in future years.

Palestinians

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) his US counterpart,  (b) his Israeli counterpart and  (c) the Palestinian Authority on measures to strengthen Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank.

Alistair Burt: Enhancing and strengthening the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) continues to remain a top priority for both the Palestinian Authority and the UK Government.
	We work closely alongside the PASF and provide technical assistance aimed at improving the efficiency and professionalism of the security sector as a whole including the civilian police and emergency services; and direct class-room based training for the PASF. In addition to this the UK has separate activity supporting policing, justice and the rule of law in the Palestinian Territories.
	We also work closely with the United States Security Co-ordinator (USSC) General Dayton. The USSC provides advice and guidance to support PASF efforts at reform, within the context of the Roadmap and the two-state solution.

Palestinians

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has  (a) taken since his appointment and  (b) plans to take in the next 12 months at the UN to deter Hezbollah rearmament; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: During my visit to Beirut and Damascus from 12-14 July 2010, I pressed the Governments of Syria and Lebanon to stop the re-arming of Hezbollah. We continue to support the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, and to press for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 including through using our position on the UN Security Council.

Palestinians

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of stockpiling by Hezbollah of  (a) weapons and  (b) missiles in South Lebanon; what recent discussions he has had with the government of Lebanon on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: We are concerned by recent reports of weapons transfers to Hezbollah, including Hezbollah's own claims that it possesses significant military capabilities. We continue to monitor information from all available sources, but lack definitive figures. During my recent visit to Lebanon I raised the issue with Lebanese PM Hariri and expressed the need that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is implemented in full, and that the issue of Hezbollah disarmament be dealt with as a priority.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli government to pay compensation for  (a) loss of property,  (b) damage to property,  (c) physical injuries sustained and  (d) psychological damage caused to British citizens on board the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and during their subsequent detention by Israeli authorities.

Alistair Burt: We do not normally pursue any loss or theft of property either through seeking its return or through any legal claim. However, in light of the circumstances of this incident, we have exceptionally tried to assist the British nationals in seeking clarification on, and the return of, their possessions.
	Should those involved wish to recover property that had allegedly been stolen, or seek compensation, we would advise the individual, or group, to appoint a local legal representative in Israel. They are best placed to advise them on the appropriate way forward in the country they are claiming in, or against. To assist them we are able to provide a list of English speaking, local lawyers based in Israel. We would of course also advise them to speak to the providers of their travel insurance.
	If any British national has concerns about mistreatment while in detention we are able, with their permission, to raise it with the relevant authorities and ask for an independent investigation. I raised this with the returnees when I met them on 17 June 2010, and asked them to write to us with the details of any mistreatment.

Russia: Human Rights

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the human rights situation in the Russian Federation.

Jeremy Browne: We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Russia. While we welcome the positive agenda set out by President Medvedev and the limited reforms achieved so far, the situation on the ground has, in many areas, shown little sign of improvement. Attacks on human rights defenders and journalists, and ongoing abuses in the North Caucasus region, are of most serious concern. There is still a low success rate in investigating and prosecuting such crimes, perpetuating a climate of impunity. Democratic space, civil society, the media and freedom of assembly are constrained.
	The Government will continue to work with Russia on addressing ongoing human rights issues, including through our bilateral human rights dialogue.

South Africa: Football

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals were arrested in South Africa during the period of the 2010 World Cup.

Jeremy Browne: As far as we are aware there were 12 British nationals arrested in South Africa during the World Cup. However, there may have been arrests of British nationals of which we were not informed, including dual nationals.
	None of the arrests were for football related violence.

Thailand: Sexual Offences

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's response was to the Thai government's decision to deport to the UK all known sex offenders who are British citizens.

Jeremy Browne: We understand that this is not a new decision. The Thai authorities are applying existing legislation more rigorously to prevent criminals convicted of serious offences entering or staying in Thailand. They are targeting all serious criminals, regardless of the country they have come from. Thailand's immigration policy and practice is a matter for the Thai authorities.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to visit Yemen.

Alistair Burt: For security reasons we cannot disclose the travel plans of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. I visited Yemen in June and intend to follow up my visit with a further trip later this year.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the recent visit to Yemen by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

Alistair Burt: My recent visit to Yemen on 22 to 24 June 2010, was my first trip to the region. I took the opportunity to reassure my hosts that Yemen is a priority for the new UK Government. I met President Saleh and a number of his senior ministers. My discussions focussed on bilateral relations, the Friends of Yemen process and economic reform and were productive, friendly and encouraging.
	I explained that the UK remains committed to the process of assisting Yemen to tackle the sources of instability, chief among these being the decline of Yemen's economy. The UK and others agree that negotiating an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is vital in addressing the problems facing Yemen's economy. I am pleased to learn that Yemen has now agreed to an IMF programme, which will go to the IMF board for approval later this month. It will be important to see a well-managed implementation of the programme, with support from across the international community.
	I also discussed how the Friends of Yemen process could promote support for Yemen and its people and how the UK could help take forward the process launched at the meeting held in London in January 2010.

Yvonne Fletcher

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking following his meeting with his Libyan counterpart to seek to ensure that Libya grants visas to Metropolitan Police officers to visit Libya to conclude their investigation into the killing of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

Alistair Burt: The murder of WPC Fletcher was a terrible crime and her family deserve to know the truth. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has made it clear to the Libyan Government that this issue remains one of our key objectives.
	Ministers are and will continue to press the Libyan Government on allowing the Metropolitan police (MPS) to return. On 31 May 2010, the Foreign Secretary raised the WPC Fletcher case with the Libyan Foreign Minister, Musa Kusa. I also raised the issue with Libyan Europe Minister Obidi on 15 July 2010.
	The FCO will provide all relevant assistance to the MPS, if required, including on applying for visas to travel to Libya when they are permitted to return to Libya.

INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Candidates: Manpower

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many senior officials of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) have been Parliamentary candidates; and what posts each of those has held in IPSA.

Charles Walker: IPSA does not systematically record this information. However, IPSA is aware that the Compliance Officer, Alan Lockwood, was a parliamentary candidate in the general election of 2005.

ICT: Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what the cost price to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is of the key fobs used to assist in the electronic processing of claims.

Charles Walker: The price of the key fob cannot be separated from the cost of the security token, as they are purchased as one integrated device. The current cost to IPSA of the key fob and the integrated security token is £75 plus VAT, inclusive of postage and packaging. Replacement security tokens (where for example they are lost or stolen) will be charged to the MP at cost price. IPSA does not make a profit on the security tokens.
	This is a reduction on the original cost of replacement tokens, which was £127.58 plus VAT. IPSA has extended its IT support contract to absorb the costs of set-up, registration and testing, meaning the supplier does not charge IPSA support costs per token when supplying replacements. The cost to IPSA and to MPs now just covers the physical device and postage and packaging.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Graham Allen: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what recent discussions the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has had on the date on which he will first answer Questions for oral answer on the committee's responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Walker: The Speaker's Committee for the IPSA agreed on 30 June that it would accept written questions and that it also wished to accept Questions for oral answer. As the rota for oral questions is the responsibility of Ministers, the Speaker, in his role as Chair of the Committee, wrote to the Leader of the House on 5 July requesting that questions to the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee, be included in the rota for oral questions. The Committee awaits a reply.

Members' Staff: Contracts

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what the average time taken between the receipt for approval of a proposed contract of employment of a member of staff of an hon. Member by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and the decision by the Authority on such a contract has been to date.

Charles Walker: IPSA currently responds to requests for approval of staff contracts within two working days of receipt.

Members: Correspondence

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what guidance the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority provides to its staff on when enquiries from hon. Members should be replied to  (a) in writing and  (b) by telephone.

Charles Walker: IPSA's staff are provided with its policy on this matter, which is that IPSA aims to answer all queries which are received on the IPSA Information Line immediately over the telephone. Only where these queries are complex, give rise to advice on Members' specific circumstances that should be recorded, or give rise to issues which require further consideration, will IPSA request that the query is submitted in writing. Queries received by email or letter will be answered in writing, except in cases which can be more quickly or usefully resolved by telephone.

Members: Travel

Jim Murphy: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority how many hon. Members who have correctly completed an application to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for a travel card have not received their travel card.

Charles Walker: The information requested is as follows:
	148 Members have not yet collected their travel cards from the IPSA Documentation Centre in 1 Parliament street.
	Five Members have supplied the required information for a travel card application. These cards have been ordered and will be available for collection imminently.
	Eight Members have not yet provided IPSA with the required details to order a travel card.
	Travel cards awaiting collection can be collected from the IPSA Documentation Centre at 1 Parliament street, which is open every day from 9 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm, until 31 July 2010.

Offices

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on what date the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority proposes to close its office premises on the Parliamentary Estate; and what arrangements the Authority plans to make thereafter for hon. Members to meet its staff at its premises.

Charles Walker: The Documentation Centre at 1 Parliament street is due to close on 30 July. After this point IPSA will aim to provide one-to-one support for Members as required, for as long as there is a demand for such a service.

Publications

Richard Burden: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority whether the rules and procedures of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority preclude the authority from funding the preparation and publication of hard copy reports on its activities other than those providing details of how the Authority may be contacted.

Charles Walker: IPSA has chosen to publish the majority of its information in email and online, as this represents the best value for money for the taxpayer and is a quick and efficient way of disseminating information. Its website contains detailed information for Members to read or print off, including a variety of training presentations giving guidance on the online system. All publications can be printed off by Members' staff if they wish to read these in hard copy. In addition, its guidance to the scheme, FAQs and MP bulletins are available in hard copy from the Documentation Centre and Members' Centre.
	IPSA currently intends to publish its statutory annual report in hard copy, and has published all consultations in hard copy form.

Telephone Services

Hugh Bayley: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) will make its staff available to advise hon. Members on the telephone in the evenings and at weekends during the same hours that the PICT service helpdesk is open.

Charles Walker: IPSA is currently making a number of changes to the IPSA Information Line-including the recent installation of a new call handling system-which will enable it to deliver improvements to the level of service which is being provided to MPs. At present, IPSA has no plans to extend the operating hours of the IPSA Information Line.

Working Relations

David Winnick: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority what recent consideration the Chair and Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority have given to steps to improve working relations between the Authority and hon. Members.

Charles Walker: The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has taken and is taking significant steps to work closely with Members in delivering the new expenses scheme. In response to consultation responses and feedback from Members IPSA now offers one-to-one assistance with the online system, cash flow advances of up to £4,000 to help Members with legitimate expenses, and a contingency fund to help Members who are unable to keep within their budgets for this financial year.
	IPSA is also keen to develop further the suggestion of a liaison group with the Leader of the House and other interested Members. This will help to ensure that IPSA understands the varied working patterns of Members and that Members are able to access accurate information on IPSA and the Scheme. IPSA is keen to continue to develop its relationship with Members and welcomes comments and feedback sent to:
	info@parliamentarystandards.org.uk

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  if he will consider steps to incentivise the production of bioliquids from  (a) waste cooking oil and  (b) other waste products;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy not to support the production of bioliquids from  (a) virgin crops and  (b) other sustainable sources.

Gregory Barker: The renewables obligation supports the use of a range of biomass, including bioliquids, for the generation of electricity. The renewable energy directive sets criteria by which the sustainability of bioliquids must be assessed and we are considering support for bioliquids within this context. We will make further announcements on these issues shortly.

Biofuels

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contribution of the bioliquids sector to employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Gregory Barker: I am not aware of any specific assessment that has been made of the contribution of the bioliquids sector to employment opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Carbon Emissions

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the potential financial savings to the public purse attributable to steps taken to achieve the 10 per cent. carbon reduction target for Government departments.

Gregory Barker: It is not yet possible to provide an accurate estimate of the financial savings attributable the Government's 10% emissions reduction target given the variables which will affect the amount and cost of energy used by Government over this period, including variations in weather and the cost of energy.

Carbon Emissions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the  (a) Sustainable Development Commission and  (b) other environmental groups on monitoring progressing towards achieving a 10 per cent. year-on-year reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the Government estate.

Gregory Barker: My officials have corresponded with staff in the Sustainable Development Commission regarding the 10% reduction target. The working group established to ensure the delivery of this emissions target includes expert representatives from the fields of sustainability and energy efficiency.

Carbon Emissions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the notional reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from the  (a) outsourcing of Government services and (b) sale of Government buildings will be included in the target for a 10 per cent. year-on-year reduction in the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the central government estate.

Gregory Barker: The 10% emissions reduction target relates to direct emissions from the central Government office estate. While outsourcing and rationalisation of the Government estate can and will deliver towards the 10% savings, the ministerial working group established to ensure the delivery of this emissions target has indicated that is it not acceptable to deliver the savings on the basis of these alone. The aim is to deliver improvements in the way Government operates and procures, in order to reduce Government's demand for energy in a sustainable manner. The group has therefore agreed that there should be a mechanism to ensure that the target can be compared against any overall reduction in estate size or outsourcing, and Departments have been asked to provide regular data on their estate area and number of employees in addition to their emissions.

Carbon Emissions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he intends to use carbon offsets as part of his strategy to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions from the central Government estate by 10 per cent. year-on-year in the next 12 months.

Gregory Barker: The Government do not intend to use carbon offsets in order to meet the 10% emissions reduction target.

Carbon Emissions

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change against which baseline year the proposed 10 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the central Government estate will be measured.

Gregory Barker: The baseline year for the 10% Government emissions reduction target will be 2009-10. Officials will look to align that as closely as possible with the reporting year for the target which runs from 14 May 2010 to 14 May 2011.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme: Academies

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how new academy schools will be classified in the carbon reduction energy efficiency scheme.

Gregory Barker: Individual academies will be grouped with their Children's Services Authority (formerly termed local education authorities) for CRC participation. This applies equally to new and existing academies, and ensures that such publicly funded schools are treated in the same manner as maintained schools. It also ensures that the CRC performance of a local authority is not artificially inflated through the change in a maintained school's status to an academy.

Climate Change Convention

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will support a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

Gregory Barker: Although a single treaty under the UNFCCC remains our favoured outcome to the international climate change negotiations, a second commitment period of the Kyoto protocol under the right conditions could offer a solution to help move forward. We are exploring what the implications of this would be for the UK.

Cloud Seeding

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the regulation of cloud seeding; what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on cloud seeding; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department does not have a policy on the regulation of cloud seeding, which is a technique for changing the amount, type or distribution of precipitation. I have not had any discussions with ministerial colleagues on cloud seeding.

Combined Heat and Power

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what grants his Department provides to assist community groups to install microrenewable energy sources on community buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The previous grants programmes for the installation of small scale renewable energy technologies have ended, including the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (which closed to new applicants in May 2010) and have been replaced by the feed-in tariff (FITs) which is a tariff scheme not a grants scheme.
	The feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme, which was introduced on 1 April this year, is a financial support scheme for eligible low carbon electricity technologies aimed at small-scale installations up to a maximum capacity of 5 megawatts (MW). The scheme currently supports new anaerobic digestion, hydro, solar photovoltaic and wind projects up to that 5 MW limit, by requiring electricity suppliers to make payments to generators based on the number of kilowatt hours they generate. The scheme will also support the first 30,000 micro combined heat and power installations with an electrical capacity of 2 kilowatts or less, as a pilot programme.

Departmental Aviation

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what flights he has taken on official duties since his appointment; and what the purpose was of each such journey.

Gregory Barker: As set out in the Ministerial Code, Departments will publish, at least quarterly, details of all travel overseas by Ministers. Information for the first quarter will be published as soon as it is ready.
	The Secretary of State took a flight to Aberdeen on 20 May 2010. The purpose of this visit was an introduction to the DECC staff based in Aberdeen, attendance at the All Energy Exhibition and a company visit. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Buildings

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on office refurbishment in each year since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental bodies spend on office refurbishment was:
	
		
			  £000 
			   FY2008-09  FY2009-10 
			  (a) Department for Energy and Climate Change 0 1,650 
			  (b) Non-departmental public bodies 332 302

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on televisions in each year since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental bodies spend on televisions was:
	
		
			  £ 
			   FY 2008-09  FY 2009-10 
			  (a) Department of Energy and Climate Change 880 8,400 
			  (b) Non-departmental public bodies 617 1,808

Departmental Equality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent by his Department  (a) in total and  (b) on staffing costs on promoting equality and diversity in each of the last three years; and how many people are employed by his Department for this purpose.

Gregory Barker: The information requested is as follows:
	 Total costs
	DECC does not record separate spending on promoting equality and diversity. These costs could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 Staffing costs
	The majority of the work on the promotion aspect of equality and diversity was focused on creating and publicising an interim equality and diversity strategy, establishing a Diversity Advisory Group, and starting consultation on a Single Equality Scheme.
	Individual costs are not available, and obtaining more detailed information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 Staff employed on promoting equality and diversity
	For the period 3 October 2008 (when DECC was created) to 11 May 2009 there were no staff directly employed on promoting equality and diversity. This function was included in a wider shared service arrangement with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
	From 11 May 2009 onwards this work has been included in a wider policy remit for one member of staff. Equality and diversity work in total is estimated to represent 20% of the total work, with promotion representing less than 5%.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Gregory Barker: The Government Car and Despatch Agency do not collect data relating to the mileage travelled by individual Ministers in a Government car.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my right hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Roads and Motoring on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), under what budgetary headings the £85 million of savings allocated to his Department will be made.

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from which of his Department's budget headings he plans to make the announced expenditure reductions totalling £85 million in 2010-11.

Gregory Barker: DECC will make the savings as follows:
	£4.8 million from administrative costs
	£20.2 million from efficiencies across the Department's delivery bodies
	£34 million from low carbon technology and business support
	£26 million from other efficiency savings including from support for the Regional Development Agencies.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his  (a) Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental bodies spend on training was:
	
		
			  £000 
			   FY 2008-09  FY 2009-10 
			  (a) Department of Energy and Climate Change 1,553 810 
			  (b) Non-departmental public bodies 4,804 5,659

Departmental Travel

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his  (a) Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies has spent on travel for its employees in each year since its inception.

Gregory Barker: Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental bodies spend on travel was:
	
		
			  £000 
			   FY2008-09  FY2009-10 
			  (a) Department of Energy and Climate Change 1,291 2,327 
			  (b) Non-departmental public bodies 2,617 2,369

Energy: Business

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to provide assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises to increase their energy efficiency.

Charles Hendry: It is intended that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be eligible for the Green Deal. The Green Deal will enable financing for energy efficiency improvements at no up-front cost to the end user, with repayments via Energy Bills. In the Queen's Speech we committed to legislate in a first session Energy Bill which should allow for the full Green Deal to be available in 2012.
	In the meantime practical and financial support is available. DECC funds the Carbon Trust to provide advice for small businesses through a telephone advice line, specific web tools and publications. They also administer two financial support schemes which SMEs can use for energy efficient investments: an interest free loan scheme, and the enhanced capital allowance scheme, which provides businesses that invest in designated energy efficient equipment with enhanced tax relief.

Energy: Business

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to assist small and medium-sized enterprises to secure finance for low carbon energy projects that have been granted planning permission.

Gregory Barker: There are a number of ways in which small and medium-sized enterprises can access financial support for low carbon energy projects.
	Businesses installing combined heat and power systems benefit from climate change levy exemptions and enhanced capital allowances to help finance the capital investment and operating costs. Projects that generate renewable electricity can secure financial support for generation through the renewables obligation and feed-in tariffs.
	The Carbon Trust currently supplies loans of £3,000 to £100,000 for SMEs across the UK to purchase energy efficient equipment. Repayments are linked to energy bill savings and once the loan is repaid future savings are kept by the business.
	The Government are committed to increasing the amount of renewable heat in the UK; this is a crucial part of ensuring we meet our renewables targets, cutting carbon and ensuring energy security. We are currently looking at the renewable heat incentive (RHI) proposals and look to make an announcement on the future of the proposed scheme as soon as possible.
	In addition, the Government have committed to encouraging community-owned renewable energy schemes where local people benefit from the power produced. We have also announced plans to set up a green investment bank to help the UK meet the low-carbon investment challenge.

Energy: Private Rented Housing

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to improve energy efficiency standards in the private rented property sector.

Gregory Barker: The Government announced a refocused and extended carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) on 30 June 2010, which is expected to provide benefits for at least 3.5 million households of all types by the end of 2012.
	CERT will pave the way for a new Green Deal for households and business that will mark a dramatic change in how we deliver improvements in the energy efficiency of properties in the UK. Green Deal finance will enable the provision of energy efficiency measures with no upfront costs. This has the potential to overcome the cost barriers that may have prevented many landlords taking action in the past.

Energy: Subsidies

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on subsidies for clean coal production in each year since 1997.

Charles Hendry: The Department, its predecessors and non-departmental public bodies have not provided any subsidies for clean coal production. Between 1997 and 2010 the Government spent £84.9 million on the research and development of carbon abatement technologies, including carbon capture and storage (CCS).

Fuel Poverty

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what date he has set for the eradication of fuel poverty in England and Wales.

Gregory Barker: The Government remain committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in all households in England by 2016.
	As fuel poverty is a devolved issue, the Welsh Assembly Government are responsible for progress against their current target which is to do all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in Wales by 2018.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken towards the eradication of fuel poverty in 2010; what steps he plans to take in the first six months of 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Government recently announced the extension of a more ambitious and targeted Carbon Emissions Reduction Target to December 2012, paving the way for the Green Deal. This extension will require a significant and urgent increase in home energy insulation. Through the extension we are requiring a greater focus on helping low income households than ever before. This will result in the investment of over £400 million in the most vulnerable GB homes.
	Approximately 175,000 households are expected to be provided measures which can provide a long-term solution to fuel poverty. Many more will receive measures which will protect them from falling into fuel poverty.
	We have the powers to introduce mandated social price support through the Energy Act 2010 and, subject to the outcome of the spending review and consultation, we intend to introduce the first scheme in 2011.

Fuel Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of households in  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England and Wales which are in fuel poverty; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 2,600 (7.1%) fuel poor households in the Southend West constituency, and 58,600 (8.5%) fuel poor households living in Essex.
	In 2007, there were 2.8 million fuel poor households in England. The latest figure from the Welsh Assembly Government shows a projected figure of around 243,000 households in fuel poverty in 2006.
	The new coalition Government are totally committed to helping the fuel poor. We welcome the useful recommendations from the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group's report and will respond to them fully. We must do more to help the most vulnerable to keep their homes warm at an affordable cost but it is clear that the old policies alone are not working effectively. We need to target assistance at those most in need, promote energy saving measures and greater competition in the energy market to ensure that falling wholesale energy prices get passed onto customers. We remain committed to doing all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in all households in England by 2016.

Fuel Poverty: Staffordshire

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people resident in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) Tamworth were classed as being in fuel poverty in each year since 2005.

Gregory Barker: Fuel poverty is measured at household level rather than at individual level.
	Sub-regional figures are not available for 2005. In 2006, the most recent year for which sub-regional figures are available, there were around 56,500 fuel poor households living in the county of Staffordshire and around 4,000 fuel poor households in the Tamworth constituency.

Land Use: Forests

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on sustainability criteria for land use, land-use change and forestry projects in the Clean Development Mechanism.

Gregory Barker: The Government are keen to ensure that land use, land-use change and forestry projects meet minimum sustainability and environmental criteria. We support requirements within the Kyoto Framework designed to ensure all projects meet local environmental assessment requirements, are subject to stakeholder comment, and are assessed to be in accordance with sustainable development by the host country. Responsibility for assessment of sustainable development in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) rests with the host country, though projects may be reviewed by the CDM Executive Board for a failure to meet local environmental assessment requirements, or for failure to consult stakeholders.
	The Government play a procedural role in approving participation in CDM projects. When approving participation in projects, the Government require confirmation that any proposed projects meet sustainable development criteria as determined by the host countries, and confirmation that the project design document- including references to environmental assessment and stakeholder comments-is correct before issuing any letter of approval. We believe enforcement of the system is primarily a matter for the UN's Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board, and the Designated Operational Entity-a third party auditor responsible for validating the claims made in the Project Design Document, though false statements made in an application to the Government can result in prosecution.
	Experience with projects in the forestry sector is limited-only 16 have been registered internationally and to date the Government have provided letters of approval for four forestry projects in the Clean Development Mechanism; one each in Chile, Colombia, Moldova and India.
	Projects from the forest sector are not valid for compliance within the EU ETS, and other countries (many of which have detailed additional assessment requirements) are the principle purchasers of credits from this sector. The UK Government have not purchased credits from this sector.

Marine Renewable Deployment Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funds his Department plans to allocate to the Wave and Tidal Stream Demonstration Scheme element of the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2011 and  (c) 2012.

Gregory Barker: The Government are currently considering options for marine renewable energy funding as part of the comprehensive spending review.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's report Geological Disposal: Steps Towards Implementation.

Charles Hendry: The Government welcome the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's (NDA) report "Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation". We are committed to the implementation of geological disposal for higher activity radioactive waste, through safe and secure interim storage and a geological disposal facility siting process based on voluntarism and partnership.
	"Geological Disposal: Steps towards implementation" is a positive move forward; it is important that the NDA set out its work programme and management arrangements to deliver geological disposal, as well as summarising the preparatory work undertaken so far.
	The technical planning work undertaken by the NDA compliments that ongoing in the wider process where Government are working with the three communities to date that have 'expressed an interest' in finding out more about what hosting a facility might involve. The option for communities to 'Express an Interest' remains open and DECC officials are available to answer questions or advise any community who wishes to seek further information.

Oil Rigs

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he made of the effectiveness of the use of acoustic triggers on offshore rigs in his urgent review of the UK oil and gas industry.

Charles Hendry: Safety issues are not within the scope of DECC's review as they do not fall within the responsibilities of this Department. These are matters for the HSE.
	The UK's Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (whose membership includes industry, DECC and HSE) will however be considering relevant aspects of well design and control in their work to proactively identify and address cross industry issues concerning well control and oil spill response on the UKCS. This will include the effectiveness of blowout preventers and their triggering mechanisms.

Renewable Energy

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department plans to take to encourage heavy energy users in the industrial sector to invest in on-site renewable energy generation.

Charles Hendry: There are existing financial incentives which aim to encourage on-site renewable electricity generation including the renewables obligation and the feed-in tariff. We are currently looking at these to see if there are ways of making them more effective. These schemes are not specific to heavy energy users, but are open to the whole industrial sector. We are also considering how best to support the generation of renewable heat.

Renewable Energy

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much renewable energy is planned to be generated in the UK from offshore wind over each of the next five years.

Charles Hendry: As at 6 July 2010, over a gigawatt (GW) of offshore wind capacity has been installed. In addition:
	1.5 GW is under construction;
	the Government have granted consent for a further 2.6GW; and
	applications have been submitted for a further 2.3GW.
	Projects that could yield over 40 GW are at the "scoping stage" and have not yet submitted applications for consent.
	Time scales for the development of these sites will depend on a number of factors.
	The Government believe that offshore wind has an important role to play in meeting climate change targets and helping achieve energy security.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to develop a public communications programme to encourage participation in his Department's feed-in tariff scheme.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change provides information on feed-in tariffs on its website at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/fits
	which also contains links to other bodies that are helping to raise awareness of the scheme. Some of these include the Energy Savings Trust, the Carbon Trust and Ofgem.
	The scheme has received extensive media coverage as well as being widely promoted by energy suppliers and those industries directly benefitting from the scheme.
	The scheme has been running since 1 April and we are continually collecting data on uptake in order to feed into the review process.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that tariffs for renewable heat are completed by April 2011.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon) on 15 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 367-68W.

Renewable Energy: Housing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to reduce the cost to households of installing renewable sources of energy.

Gregory Barker: The feed-in tariff provides financial support to encourage the uptake of small-scale, low carbon electricity generation.
	We are also looking at the renewable heat incentive (RHI) proposals. Clearly there are benefits to the scheme, but we must also consider the impact of the costs, particularly given the financial constraints we must work within and the potential impact that funding options could have on vulnerable people. We will look to make an announcement on the future of the proposed scheme as soon as possible. The Government are committed to increasing the amount of renewable heat in the UK, this is a crucial part of ensuring we meet our renewables targets, cutting carbon and ensuring energy security.
	There is further direct support from energy suppliers, made available as part of meeting their CERT obligation. Moreover, this support and the other measures we are taking should bring down the costs of these technologies through learning and economies of scale.
	Our core Green Deal offer is intended to support the move to more energy efficient homes.
	We expect Green Deal providers that insulate homes under the green deal will take the opportunity to offer packages under the Green Deal umbrella that include appropriate microgeneration.

Renewable Energy: Job Creation

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the opportunities for employment arising from the renewable energy industry.

Gregory Barker: Estimates based on Innovas projections and Labour Force survey data suggest that meeting our EU 2020 renewable energy target, combined with a growing market for renewable energy could contribute to the creation of up to half a million jobs in the UK renewable energy sector by 2020.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to announce his plans for the future of the renewable heat incentive.

Gregory Barker: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 June 2010,  Official Report, columns 367-68W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon).

River Severn: Tidal Power

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the Severn Barrage Feasibility Study.

Charles Hendry: We are currently considering the recommendations from the Severn Tidal Power Feasibility Study and expect to report our conclusions shortly.

Tidal Power

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his department is taking to develop the UK Marine Renewable Strategy, with particular reference to funding for wave and tidal technologies.

Gregory Barker: We are committed to the success of the wave and tidal industry in the UK and to introducing measures to encourage marine energy technologies. We are currently considering how creating a network of Marine Energy Parks can work to push the sector forward.
	The Government are currently considering options for marine renewable energy funding as part of the comprehensive spending review.

Warm Front Scheme: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on the Warm Front programme in  (a) Essex and  (b) Southend-on-Sea in each year since its inception; and what recent steps his Department has taken to (i) encourage take-up of energy efficiency measures and (ii) reduce the level of fuel poverty in Southend West constituency.

Gregory Barker: The following table indicates funding spent on energy efficiency measures by the Warm Front Scheme in (a) Essex and (b) Southend-on-Sea in each year since its inception(1):
	(1) The Warm Front Scheme started in 2000 however figures are only available from 2005, which is when Eaga, the Warm Front Scheme manager, took full control of the scheme.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Essex  Southend-on-Sea 
			 2005-06 2,000,189.00 1,057,290.72 
			 2006-07 6,182,784.13 960,161.12 
			 2007-08 9,468,843.84 1,009,969.25 
			 2008-09 12,165,333.14 1,123,994.96 
			 2009-10 18,863,847.71 1,462,541.32 
			 Total 48,680,997.82 5,613,957.37 
		
	
	There are a range of programmes that promote energy efficiency measures including CESP, CERT and Warm Front. We have also announced our intention to introduce the Green Deal.
	CESP targets designated low income areas across Great Britain with whole house energy efficiency retrofits.
	We recently announced the extension of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target obligation on energy suppliers. Suppliers will now have to work much harder to lag lofts and walls and ensure more homes, especially low income households, receive measures that reduce fuel bills, improve thermal efficiency and cut carbon emissions.
	Warm Front provides heating and energy efficiency measures and advice to vulnerable households. The following table indicates the total number of households assisted by Warm Front in the Southend West constituency in each year since its inception.
	
		
			   Southend West 
			 2005-06 354 
			 2006-07 502 
			 2007-08 547 
			 2008-09 665 
			 2009-10 497 
			 Total 2,565 
		
	
	In addition, we have announced our intention to put in place the legal framework needed for a Green Deal that will provide energy efficiency improvements to homeowners at no up-front cost, with consumers repaying through the savings they make on their energy bills. This will mark a dramatic change in how we deliver improvements in the energy efficiency of properties in the UK.

Warm Front Scheme: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on the Warm Front programme in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley in each year since its inception; and what recent steps his Department has taken to (i) encourage take-up of energy efficiency measures and (ii) reduce the level of fuel poverty in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in the last three years.

Gregory Barker: The following table indicates funding spent on energy efficiency measures by the Warm Front Scheme in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley in each year since its inception(1);
	(1) The Warm Front Scheme started in 2000 however figures are only available from 2005, which is when Eaga, the Warm Front Scheme manager, took full control of the scheme.
	
		
			  Spend (£) 
			   Bexleyheath and Crayford  London borough of Bexley 
			 2005-06 130,526.00 499,898.96 
			 2006-07 366,531.83 1,059,696.46 
			 2007-08 399,561.79 1,031,686.11 
			 2008-09 413,674.34 1,175,349.69 
			 2009-10 280,679.84 964,285.95 
			 Total 1,590,973.80 4,730,917.17 
		
	
	There are a range of programmes that promote energy efficiency measures including CESP, CERT and Warm Front. We have also announced our intention to introduce the Green Deal. CESP targets designated low income areas across Great Britain with whole house energy efficiency retrofits.
	We recently announced the extension of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target obligation on energy suppliers. Suppliers will now have to work much harder to lag lofts and walls and ensure more homes, especially low income households, receive measures that reduce fuel bills, improve thermal efficiency and cut carbon emissions.
	Warm Front provides heating and energy efficiency measures and advice to vulnerable households. The following table indicates the total number of households assisted by Warm Front in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in the last three years.
	
		
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford  Number 
			 2007-08 316 
			 2008-09 277 
			 2009-10 225 
			 Total 818 
		
	
	In addition, we have announced our intention to put in place the legal framework needed for a Green Deal that will provide energy efficiency improvements to homeowners at no up-front cost, with consumers repaying through the savings they make on their energy bills. This will mark a dramatic change in how we deliver improvements in the energy efficiency of properties in the UK.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department at each pay band have responsibility for the  (a) formulation and  (b) implementation of policy on the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what posts in his Department and its predecessors each such official has held; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department has three officials, supported by senior management, working specifically on the Fuel Poverty Strategy and the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act. A further six officials manage the delivery of the Warm Front Scheme.
	In addition, other officials work on a range of policies within the Department that impact on fuel poverty, including domestic energy efficiency, the voluntary agreement with energy suppliers, social price support and data sharing. The officials have a range of experience from working both inside and outside Government.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the operation of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has regular meetings with ministerial colleagues on a wide variety of topics.

Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the operation of  (a) section 1 and  (b) section 2 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Act; and whether he plans (i) to amend and (ii) to repeal this Act.

Gregory Barker: The latest report by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the steps taken to implement the fuel poverty strategy required by Section 2 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 was published in October 2009. A copy of the report can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Statistics/fuelpoverty/1_20091021091505_e_@@_UKFuelPovertyStrategy7AnnReport09.pdf
	We have received representations on the definition of fuel poverty from three parties.
	There are no plans at the current time to amend or repeal this Act.

Wind Power: Ports

Edward Miliband: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for development of ports to support offshore wind infrastructure.

Gregory Barker: The Government are committed to the development of UK manufacturing to support the growing offshore wind sector. Funding for offshore wind ports infrastructure has not been selected for suspension or cancellation as part of the recent cost cutting exercise, but as with all public spending it is being reviewed in the context of the spending review.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has made an estimate of the likely cost to the NHS of treating alcohol-related health conditions in  (a) 2015 and  (b) 2020.

Anne Milton: No estimate has been made of the cost to the national health service of treating alcohol-related health conditions in 2015 and 2020. We plan to publish a White Paper on public health the autumn, which will consider how to prevent future increases in ill health from alcohol misuse and associated costs.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of treating alcohol-related health conditions in each of the last 10 years.

Anne Milton: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in 2003 the annual cost of alcohol misuse to the national health service in England was quantified at £1.4 billion-£1.7 billion in 2001 prices Cabinet Office (2003), Alcohol misuse: how much does it cost? Available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/work_areas/alcohol_misuse/background.aspx
	A more recent estimate of £2.7 billion per year for 2006-07 was published in Cost of alcohol harm to the NHS, Department of Health, 2007. Available at:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Closedconsultations/DH_086412?PageOperation=email

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has evaluated on the effects on the level of alcohol consumption of  (a) price and  (b) availability of alcohol.

Anne Milton: The Coalition programme for government includes a commitment to review alcohol taxation and pricing, to ensure it tackles binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs, and important local industries. Her Majesty's Treasury and the Home Office will jointly lead the review. It will report in the autumn and will take account of recent research.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued public health guidance, Alcohol-use disorders: preventing the development of hazardous and harmful drinking in June. This report, which is available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH24
	was based on a series of effectiveness reviews, which summarise and assess the evidence from research, including research on the availability of alcohol. This will be considered by the Department over the coming months.

Anaphylaxis: Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of treating emergency cases of anaphylaxis in NHS facilities in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table shows the cost to the national health service in England of treating non-elective (unplanned) admissions for shock and anaphylaxis in the last five years for which information has been collected. Information is not separately available for anaphylaxis.
	
		
			   Total cost £ million 
			 2004-05 1.1 
			 2005-06 1.1 
			 2006-07 1.4 
			 2007-08 1.4 
			 2008-09 1.6 
			  Notes: 1. Figures taken from schedule 4 (NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) combined) of the national schedules of reference costs for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 published at: www.dh.gov.uk/nhscosting 2. Total costs are the number of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) and the number of excess bed days multiplied by their national average unit costs. 3. Figures are not comparable between years because: (a) 2004-04 to 2005-06 costs were collected on Healthcare Resource Group version 3.5 (HRGv3.5) and include HRG code S26 Shock and Anaphylaxis. (b) 2006-07 to 2008-09 costs were collected on Healthcare Resource Group 4 (HRG4) and include HRGs WA16W Shock and Anaphylaxis with complications or comorbidities and WA16Y Shock and Anaphylaxis without complications or comorbidities (c) 2004-05 to 2006-07 costs include non-elective in-patients and observation wards and 2007-08 to 2008-09 costs include non-elective in-patients long and short stay. 4. The diagnosis codes from the International Classification of Diseases 10(th) revision (ICD-10) classification system which group to these HRGs are: (a) T63.0 Toxic effect of snake venom (b) T63.2 Toxic effect of venom of scorpion (c) T63.4 Toxic effect of venom of other arthropods (d) T63.5 Toxic effect of contact with fish (e) T63.6 Toxic effect of contact with other marine animals (f) T63.8 Toxic effect of contact with other venomous animals (g) T63.9 Toxic effect of contact with unspecified venomous animal (h) T75.0 Effects of lightning (i) T75.4 Effects of electric current (j) T78.0 Anaphylactic shock due to adverse food reaction (k) T78.2 Anaphylactic shock, unspecified (l) T79.4 Traumatic shock (m) T80.5 Anaphylactic shock due to serum (n) T81.1 Shock during or resulting from a procedure NEC (o) T88.2 Shock due to anaesthesia (p) T88.6 Anaphylactic shock due adverse effect of correct drug or medicament properly administered

Anaphylaxis: Health Services

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency cases of anaphylaxis were treated in NHS hospitals in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table shows the number of emergency admissions where the primary diagnosis was anaphylactic shock, also known as anaphylaxis. The number of admissions does not represent the number of patients as a patient may have been admitted more than once.
	
		
			   Emergency finished admission episodes 
			 2004-05 2,759 
			 2005-06 2,984 
			 2006-07 3,180 
			 2007-08 3,299 
			 2008-09 3,509 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Anger Management Treatment

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on anger management treatment for  (a) women and  (b) men in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The provision and funding of local health services, including anger management, is a matter for local decision. We do not collect these figures centrally.

Ashfield Community Hospital

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the future of Ashfield Community Hospital.

Simon Burns: It is for Nottinghamshire county primary care trust to improve community services to ensure they provide modern, personalised, and responsive care of a consistently high quality that is equally accessible to all patients.

Autism: Children

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that child and adolescent mental health services are able adequately to meet the needs of children with autism through  (a) availability of specialist autism support and  (b) autism training for all staff working in such services.

Paul Burstow: Staff working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) should have the necessary values, competencies, skills, and ongoing training to enable them to recognise and respond to the identified needs of children, including those with autism. We are looking at what might need to be done to ensure CAMHS offer proper support to those with autism spectrum disorders.

Baby Care Units: Standards

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department assesses the quality of services provided by maternity units.

Anne Milton: The Care Quality Commission is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England and is therefore responsible for assuring the safety and quality of services provided by maternity units.

Change4Life Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors he took into account on his decision to end his Department's funding for the Change4Life programme.

Anne Milton: The Department will continue to provide funding for the Change4Life campaign. The amount of taxpayers' money spent on Change4Life will be scaled back to focus on the core business of extending the campaign's reach and effectiveness.

Change4Life Programme

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding for the Change4Life programme he expects to be raised from the food industry.

Anne Milton: How much funding the food industry will contribute to the Change4Life campaign has yet to be discussed with representatives from food companies. Discussions will be taking place over the coming months to consider how funding arrangements will be developed from the existing support provided.

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many buildings his Department occupies in  (a) London and  (b) the UK.

Simon Burns: The Department occupies five buildings in London. It wholly occupies Richmond House, Skipton House, and Wellington House and partly occupies New Kings Beam House and Eastbourne Terrace. The Department occupies a total of 16 buildings in the United Kingdom which includes the London buildings listed above and additionally wholly occupies Hexagon House (Exeter), Vantage House (Leeds) and Units 8 and 9Hi Tech Village (Newcastle) and partially occupies Quarry House (Leeds), Premier Buildings (Nelson, Lancashire), Premier House (Reading), Castle View House (Runcorn), Hembury House (Exeter), Princes Exchange (Leeds), Prospect House (Redditch), and 1 Whitehall (Leeds) .
	The response includes buildings occupied by staff in NHS Connecting for Health. In addition the Department has a number of staff in located in each on the Government Offices of the Regions.

Depressive Illnesses

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years who were diagnosed with depression were subsequently referred to talking therapies and mutual support groups in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Although the Department does not collect these statistics centrally, we do have access to the most recent Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (2007) figures. This provides data around the numbers of people with a common mental health disorder (CMD) by age and gender. It also provides this information by historic intervals. The following tables indicate the relevant data for the years 1993, 2000 and 2007:
	
		
			  Prevalence of CMD in past week in 1993, 2000 and 2007-Men 
			  Percentage 
			   Aged 16-34  Aged 35-44  All men 
			 1993 11.5 12.8 11.9 
			 2000 12.3 16.1 14.6 
			 2007 13.8 15.0 13.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Prevalence of CMD in past week in 1993, 2000 and 2007-Women 
			  Percentage 
			   Aged 16-34  Aged 35-44  All women 
			 1993 20.0 19.8 19.1 
			 2000 21.2 21.1 20.4 
			 2007 22.6 19.5 21.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Prevalence of CMD in past week in 1993, 2000 and 2007-All 
			   All (percentage) 
			 1993 15.5 
			 2000 17.5 
			 2007 17.6 
			  Source: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, 2007 
		
	
	We do not collect data to indicate the proportion of these individuals who are subsequently referred to talking therapies. However, we do know that from October 2008 to March 2010 the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme received 765,491 referrals. If the numbers referred for treatment continue to increase at the current rate in excess of 1.65 million people will be referred for talking therapies by March 2011. This is in line with the plans to see 900,000 people in the first three years of the programme. In year two, we have launched a further 111 sites and by 2011, we expect all 152 primary care trusts to begin to be implementing an IAPT service. Information on the number of people accessing psychological therapy services in primary and community settings was not collected centrally prior to the IAPT programme.

Depressive Illnesses

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years who are registered with a GP have been treated for depression by each primary care trust in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: We do know that as of April 2010 765,000 referrals had been made to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services, with 321,000 people going on to enter the service. The most recent prevalence rates for common mental health disorder as recorded by the Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in 2007 is 17.6% (of the adult population aged 16 to 64).
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Depressive Illnesses

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years who were diagnosed with depression were prescribed anti-depressants by each primary care trust in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what proportion of people aged  (a) under 19,  (b) between 19 and 35 and  (c) over 35 years who were diagnosed with depression were female in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how much each primary care trust spent on anti-depressants for  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how much his Department has spent on anti-depressants for  (a) women and  (b) men in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: Information on the net ingredient cost of antidepressant prescription items(1 )dispensed in the community in England for the period requested is shown in the following table.
	(1) Antidepressants have been defined as those products included in British National Formulary (BNF) chapter 4.3 (antidepressant drugs).
	 Source:
	Prescribing Cost Analysis
	
		
			   Net ingredient cost (£000) 
			 2005 338,546.7 
			 2006 291,511.4 
			 2007 276,107.6 
			 2008 247,355.1 
			 2009 230,062.9 
		
	
	Information on the number and net ingredient cost of antidepressant prescription items dispensed in the community by primary care trust has been placed in the Library.
	Information on the gender of people with a current diagnosis of depression and information on the numbers, age and gender of people prescribed a medicine and the condition for which a medicine is prescribed, is not collected centrally.

Drugs: Misuse

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse uses of the term dependency in its official publications.

Anne Milton: The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse uses the World Health Organisation's definition of dependency, which is contained in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10):
	"A cluster of behavioural, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated substance use and that typically include a strong desire to take the drug, difficulties in controlling its use, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, a higher priority given to drug use than to other activities and obligations, increased tolerance, and sometimes a physical withdrawal state."
	This definition is also used in the United Kingdom guidelines on clinical management of drug misuse and dependence and by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Eating Disorders: Finance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on treatment for eating disorders with regard to  (a) women and  (b) men in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The commissioning of services, including those to address self-harm is a local issue for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. We do not collect this information centrally.

Food: Labelling

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received  (a) for and  (b) against the inclusion of traffic light warnings on labels for food and drink since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: Three letters have been received regarding traffic light labelling on food products. All were in favour of traffic light labelling. No representations have been received against the use of traffic light labelling on food products.

General Practitioners

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of managerial and administrative staff who will be employed to operate the GP consortia proposed in the White Paper proposals for new commissioning; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to provide funding for capital expenditure to establish the GP consortia proposed in the White Paper proposals for new commissioning; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS", published on 12 July 2010, sets out our intention to devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to local consortia of general practitioner (GP) practices. To support GP consortia in their commissioning decisions, we will also create an independent NHS Commissioning Board.
	We will shortly issue a document setting out our proposals in more detail. This will provide the basis for fuller engagement with primary care professionals, patients and the public. It is therefore too early at this stage to say what this means for the numbers of managerial and administrative staff employed to operate the GP consortia.
	Thus plans for funding for capital expenditure for GP consortia have not yet been made.

Health Services: Children

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations will assume the regulatory and policy functions of primary care trusts in respect of safeguarding children after the abolition of primary care trusts.

Anne Milton: The White Paper, "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS" sets out our strategy for reforming the national health service and a timetable of action to achieve it. The Health Bill to be introduced in the autumn will detail which organisations will assume the functions of primary care trusts, including those in respect of safeguarding, once they are abolished.

Health Services: Finance

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding his Department allocated per head to acute care in each of the primary care trust review areas in each year since 2000.

Simon Burns: Revenue allocations cover hospital and community health services, prescribing (the Drugs Bill) and, since 2006-07, primary medical services. The Department does not break down primary care trust (PCT) allocations by policy or by service area. PCTs make decisions on investment in health care for their communities, taking into account both local and national priorities.
	Revenue allocations were first made to PCTs in 2003-04. Prior to 2003-04, revenue allocations were made to health authorities (HAs).
	A table, setting out allocations per head to HAs from 2000-01 to 2002-03, and to PCTs from 2003-04 to 2010-11, has been placed in the Library.

Hospitals: Parking

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many car parking spaces at NHS hospitals in each region are available for use by  (a) managerial staff,  (b) members of the public,  (c) consultants and  (d) other clinical staff.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data on car parking spaces provided by the national health service are collected centrally through the Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC). These data are provided on a voluntary basis by NHS foundation trusts and will therefore not be complete. The latest available data for 2008-09 are provided as follows by strategic health authority (SHA):
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  Total disabled parking spaces( 1)  Total parking spaces available for patients/visitors( 2)  Total parking spaces available for staff( 3) 
			 East Midlands 1,843 18,156 23,917 
			 East of England 2,096 20,200 29,274 
			 London 2,279 18,492 29,525 
			 North East 1,063 13,547 16,485 
			 North West 4,082 35,204 48,512 
			 South Central 1,564 15,103 22,002 
			 South East Coast 1,438 11,827 19,952 
			 South West 1,779 18,118 26,982 
			 West Midlands 2,864 21,396 36,532 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,357 22,558 31,430 
			 The ERIC data definitions used were: ( 1 ) Total disabled parking spaces. Total number of disabled car parking spaces available within the organisational grounds for disabled staff and visitors. ( 2 ) Total parking spaces available for patients/visitors Total number of car parking spaces available for use by patients and visitors within the organisational grounds, inclusive of relevant disabled parking spaces. ( 3 ) Total parking spaces available for staff Total number of car parking spaces available for use by staff within the organisational grounds, inclusive of relevant disabled parking spaces. 
		
	
	The information provided has been supplied by the NHS and has not been amended centrally. The accuracy and completeness of the information is the responsibility of the provider organisation.
	The provision of hospital car parking is decided locally by individual trusts to best support their services.

Kingston Hospital: Finance

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for the  (a) future and  (b) future funding of Kingston Hospital.

Simon Burns: We are informed by NHS London that there are no plans for significant changes to Kingston hospital.
	The Department does not allocate funding directly to hospitals. Revenue allocations are made to primary care trusts (PCTs), and it is for PCTs to commission services from hospitals and other providers to meet the health care needs of their local communities, taking account of national and local priorities.
	This Government will devolve power and responsibility for commissioning services to the health care professionals closest to patients: general practitioners and their consortiums.

Medical Consultants: Sick Leave

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical consultants were recorded as taking stress-related leave in each region in each year since 2000.

Simon Burns: This information is only available from local national health service organisations. If medical consultants are on the national pay scale they can be identified on the Electronic Staff Records System (ESR) but there is no standard reporting tool to enable extraction of national ESR data on sickness absence by reason.

Medical Records: Databases

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the cost of the summary care records programme.

Simon Burns: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (Mr David Davis) on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, column 44W.

Mental Health Services

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of GP consultations held with  (a) female and  (b) male patients aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years were related to common mental disorders in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: This is information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much talking therapies have cost each primary care trust in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much each primary care trust spent on cognitive behavioural therapy for  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: At a national level the Government have invested significant resources as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme. This investment was £33 million in 2008-09, £103 million in 2009-10 and £173 million in 2010-11. The £173 million per annum funding will be recurrent following the end of the current comprehensive spending review period.
	These data are not centrally collected.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for talking therapies were for  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: A key aim of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is to improve access to talking therapy services. This entails reducing levels of unmet need and waiting times for services for people who do come forward and seek treatment. The intention of the IAPT programme is to provide rapid access for assessment and treatment for people with diagnosable conditions. While the waiting times standards to be achieved by each service are locally derived (and therefore locally collected), national best practice indicates that the end-to-end waiting time from referral to treatment commencing should be no more than four weeks.

Mental Health: Death

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken to establish the average age of death for people with severe mental illness in England since publication of the 2006 Disability Rights Commission report, Closing the Gap.

Paul Burstow: We are unaware of any research which has been undertaken in this field, however we recognise that this is a serious problem. We expect to address it in our future plans for public health.

Mental Health: Patients

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rates of readmission of mental health in-patients within  (a) 30 days and  (b) 90 days were in each primary care trust in each of the last three years.

Paul Burstow: The information requested is not collected.

Mental Health: Psychotherapists

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to extend access to psychological therapies recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to people with severe mental illness who are not eligible for treatment through the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.

Paul Burstow: The Government set out in the Coalition agreement, 'our programme for government', a commitment to ensure greater access to talking therapies to reduce long-term costs for the national health service. This is a clear public health priority for us and we are currently working to identify how best to take it forward.
	Revised National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance on schizophrenia was published in March 2009. This outlines the best way to treat and manage adults with schizophrenia in primary and secondary care. The guidance recommends that treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy should be offered to all people with schizophrenia.
	Psychological therapies can be a key element of the treatment of people with severe and enduring mental health conditions, particularly when these conditions are experienced alongside depression and anxiety disorders. In these cases, the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy and other NICE-compliant therapies is the recommended treatment. Services for these clients is largely provided by psychology departments in specialist mental health trusts. The implementation of Improving access to Psychological Therapies services for people in community settings with mild to moderate conditions can reduce the number of referrals to specialist mental health trusts and enable them to focus on providing services to those with severe and enduring mental illness.
	General practitioners or consultant psychiatrists can prescribe any medicine or treatment which they consider to be necessary for treating NHS patients, including NICE-approved treatments, provided that the local primary care trust or NHS trust agree to supply it on the NHS. Clinicians are responsible for deciding on the most appropriate form of treatment for their patients, and in doing so they are expected to take NICE guidance fully into account. The Department does not become involved in making clinical decisions.

NHS: Discharges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the cost to the NHS of delayed discharges in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the effect of delayed discharges in the NHS on  (a) cost to the NHS,  (b) waiting times for operations and  (c) the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We have made no estimate of the cost to the national health service of delayed discharges, or the effect these delays have on waiting times for operations and the incidence of hospital-acquired infections.
	Since 5 January 2004, if social services are solely responsible for a patient being delayed in hospital, the local authority is liable to pay the NHS a charge per day of £100 (£120 in London and certain areas of the South East) for the delay.

NHS: Discharges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of delayed discharges in the NHS;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to work with those local authorities which operate care homes for the elderly to reduce the number of delayed discharges in the NHS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of delayed discharges from hospital on  (a) local authority and  (b) private sector elderly care homes in (i) England and (ii) Southend on Sea.

Paul Burstow: Since 5 January 2004, if social services are solely responsible for a patient being delayed in hospital, the local authority is liable to pay the national health service a charge per day of £100 (£120 in London and certain areas of the South East) for the delay.
	A wide range of services known as intermediate care are offered to help people recuperate after an in-patient stay with a view to, wherever possible, enabling the individual to continue to live independently in the community. Where appropriate, some or all of the intermediate care package may include a time-limited stay in a care home.
	The Community Care (Delayed Discharges, etc.) Act 2003 placed new duties on the NHS and councils relating to joint working between health and social care systems and with patients and carers around hospital discharge. Councils were allocated an extra £100 million a year to defray the cost of reimbursement. To the extent that they are able to reduce delays they can retain any cash "saved" from the £100 million to invest in new services locally.
	We have made no assessment of the effects of delayed discharges from hospital on local authority and private sector elderly care homes.

NHS: Employment Agencies

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the practice of NHS staff working as agency staff in the same hospital in which they are employed by the NHS.

Simon Burns: There are no national policies, which prevent staff from legitimately working for both the national health service and a private agency at the same NHS trust.
	It is for local NHS organisations to plan and deliver a workforce appropriate to the needs of their local population, based on clinical need and sound evidence.
	The appropriate use of agency staff and effective management of agency costs is a high priority in the NHS, and the Department and NHS Employers will shortly be issuing joint guidance to NHS organisations on the best practice use of flexible staff.
	We will be looking into this matter carefully.

Nutrition: Health Education

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what conditions food and drinks companies will be engaged to provide funding for new programmes on food and health.

Anne Milton: The conditions under which food and drinks companies will be engaged to provide funding for new programmes on food and health have yet to be finalised. Discussions will be taking place over the coming months to consider this issue.

Nutrition: Health Education

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has received recent indications of interest in funding health education programmes from food and drinks companies;
	(2)  what recent meetings he has had with representatives of food and drink companies to discuss health education programmes; and when each such meeting was held.

Anne Milton: The Secretary of State for Health has not received any recent indications of interest nor had any recent meetings with representatives of food and drink companies to discuss health education programmes. We intend to meet with representatives and other partners in the coming weeks and months to discuss their contribution to improving public health.

Obesity: Children

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the role of schools on engaging parents in discussions on their children's weight.

Anne Milton: As part of the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), primary care trusts (PCTs) are currently responsible for weighing and measuring children aged four-five years and 10-11 years, informing parents about their child's results and providing follow-up advice and support to parents. Schools do not receive data that would enable them to identify the results for an individual child.
	In March this year, the Department of Health and Department for Education issued guidance to schools, "Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: National Child Measurement Programme Guidance for Schools 2010/11". This guidance states the purpose of the programme and what schools can do to support the programme. It also provides details of additional material which might be helpful for explaining the NCMP to children and parents/carers.
	The guidance explains that schools may want to use the NCMP as a tool to help engage pupils and parents/carers in whole school activities and programmes that support a healthy weight. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library.
	Schools can request feedback on the results of the programme for their school from the PCT. However schools will not receive raw data. This is because small numbers of children in the school mean that school-level analysis of obesity prevalence is unreliable. There is also a risk that individual children may be identified, especially where data is broken down by sex or ethnicity.
	Schools will usually receive school-level feedback that shows how prevalence of overweight and obesity compares with their local or regional average, for example, whether the prevalence of obesity at the school is higher than or lower than the local or regional average. This approach maintains the confidentiality of individual children's result.

Patients' Rights

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he plans to take to increase the information available to NHS patients to enable them to make choices about their treatment programmes.

Simon Burns: The White Paper 'Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS', published on 12 July 2010, set out the Government's plans for an information revolution in the national health service. The Information Strategy, which will be published later this year, will provide further detail on how the Government plan to implement the changes set out in the White Paper.

Self-harm

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the merits of a cross-departmental Government strategy to reduce the incidence of self-harm, including the provision of  (a) training for front-line staff and  (b) information and education services; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We will be assessing our priorities carefully and will announce details on mental health policy, in due course. Our focus will be on making services patient-led, based on the best clinical evidence, responsive to patients' choice and management of their own care, and delivering best 'health' outcomes.
	The national health service will be backed with increased real resources yet we recognise that there are still efficiencies to be made, however, we intend to make sure front-line services in the NHS as a whole are protected from cuts.

Self-harm

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will discuss with Ministerial colleagues in the devolved administrations the merits of jointly-agreed public health strategy to address self-harm; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: We will be assessing our priorities carefully and will announce details on mental health policy, including self-harm, in due course. Our focus will be on making services patient-led, based on the best clinical evidence, responsive to patients' choice and management of their own care, and delivering best 'health' outcomes.
	The national health service will be backed with increased real resources yet we recognise that there are still efficiencies to be made, however, we intend to make sure front-line services in the NHS as a whole are protected from cuts.

Self-harm: Finance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each primary care trust spent to address self harm with regard to  (a) women and  (b) men aged (i) under 19, (ii) between 19 and 35 and (iii) over 35 years in each of the last five years.

Paul Burstow: The commissioning of services, including those to address self-harm is a local issue for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities. We do not collect this information centrally.

Tobacco: Sales

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the further regulation of tobacco vending machines.

Anne Milton: Provisions already in place in the Health Act 2009 and related regulations will prohibit sales of tobacco products from vending machines from 1 October 2011.
	However, discussions are taking place across Government to decide how best to tackle smoking prevalence in the context of our focus on public health and our priorities, given the challenges facing business competition and costs.

Tobacco: Sales

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to remove tobacco displays from the point of sale.

Anne Milton: Provisions already in place in the Health Act 2009 and related regulations will prohibit tobacco displays in large shops from 1 October 2011 and in small shops from 1 October 2013.
	However, discussions are taking place across Government to decide how best to tackle this issue in the context of our focus on public health and our priorities, given the challenges facing business competition and costs.

EDUCATION

Academies: Dudley

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which schools in Dudley have applied for academy status; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: No schools in Dudley have yet applied.

Children: Databases

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on first quarter grant payments to each local authority in the West Midlands in respect of the ContactPoint database in June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has provided grant funding to local authorities and national partners to support the local implementation of ContactPoint. The following amounts were made in grant payments to the 14 children's services authorities in the West Midlands in the first quarter of the 2010-11 financial year.
	
		
			   £ 
			 Birmingham City Council 54,887.75 
			 Coventry City Council 24,005.50 
			 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 23,747.75 
			 Herefordshire County Council 18,788.00 
			 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council 23,830.00 
			 Shropshire County Council 22,727.00 
			 Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council 20,246.25 
			 Staffordshire County Council 41,518.25 
			 Stoke-on-Trent Council 20,898.50 
			 Telford and the Wrekin Council 19,135.50 
			 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council 22,574.25 
			 Warwickshire County Council 31,429.00 
			 Wolverhampton City Council 21,429.25 
			 Worcestershire County Council 32,338.75 
			 Total 377,555.75

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on televisions in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: Details of the amount spent on televisions in each year since 1997 by the Department for Education, its predecessors and all NDPBs are unable to be provided within the requested deadline as this would incur disproportionate costs.
	The amount spent on televisions within the Department for Education and its predecessors within the last three years is £19,912.

Departmental Legal Costs

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on legal advice in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: Legal advice to the Department for Education and its predecessors, the Department of Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Education and Employment, and the Department for Education and Skills, is provided primarily by the Department's Legal Directorate. The annual cost, rounded to the nearest pound, of running Legal Directorate is as follows. There are no centrally-held figures for any financial years before 2004-05. The Legal Directorate provided a shared service to the former Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills from June 2007 to November 2009.
	The figures include this cost.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2004-05 4,112,681 
			 2005-06 3,950,842 
			 2006-07 4,341,944 
			 2007-08 4,850,186 
			 2008-09 4,765,905 
			 2009-10 4,627,417 
		
	
	The Department's NDPBs hold their own information on expenditure on legal advice. This information is being collected and a letter with these details will be placed in the House Libraries by the end of July.

Departmental Lighting

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on light bulbs in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: Details of the amounts spent on light bulbs since 1997 by DFE, its predecessors and all NDPBs are unable to be provided within the requested deadline as this would incur disproportionate costs.
	The DFE head office building in London has retained records of expenditure on light bulbs since 2007. Details of those costs are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007 2,966.65 
			 2008 2,016.45 
			 2009 2,446.08 
			 2010 (1)1,046.68 
			 (1) To date

Departmental Relocation

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether he plans to relocate  (a) civil servants and  (b) Government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The location of public sector activity and plans for the Government's estate will be considered alongside other public spending issues over the course of the spending review.

Departmental Stationery

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies spent on stationery in each year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The information requested is not separately identified within the Department's published resource accounts. The requested information could be obtained through a detailed analysis of local buying records and contracts with suppliers but this could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	 (b) The Department does not obtain information at that level of detail from each of our non departmental public bodies. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

GCE A-level

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils resident in the  (a) bottom and  (b) top 10 per cent. of lower super output areas gained three A grades at A-level in 2009.

Nick Gibb: The requested information is available in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of candidates resident( 1)  in the bottom and top 10% of IDACI deciles( 2 ) achieving three or more A grades at A-level, 2008/09 
			  IDACI decile( 2)  Resident 16 to 18-year-old candidates( 1, 3 ) entered for GCE/Applied GCE A-levels and Double Awards  Number of resident candidates achieving 3 or more A grades( 4)  at GCE/Applied GCE A-level and Double Awards  Percentage of resident candidates achieving 3 or more A grades( 4)  at GCE/Applied GCE A- level and Double Awards 
			 0-10% (ie most deprived) 15,722 711 4.5 
			 90-100% (ie) least deprived 32,355 4,339 13.4 
			 (1) Includes pupils resident in England attending LA maintained schools with sixth forms, CTCs and FE sector colleges. (2) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices 2007. Each SOA in England is given a score which ranks it between 1 and 32,482, 1 being the most deprived. (3) Age at the start of the 2008/09 academic year ie 31 August 2008. (4) An Applied Double Award at grade AA counts as two grade As, an award at grade AB counts as one.  Source: National Pupil Database (final data)

GCSE

Chris Skidmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many pupils in each decile of the index of multiple deprivation eligible for free school meals gained five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what percentage of pupils in  (a) the lowest (i) 10 per cent. and (ii) one per cent. and  (b) the highest (A) 10% and (B) one% of lower super output areas gained five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics in 2009;
	(3)  how many pupils in the  (a) bottom and  (b) top 10 per cent. of lower super output areas gained five GCSEs at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, a science and a modern language in 2009.

Nick Gibb: The information available by each decile of the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) (a subset of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation) has been placed in the House of Commons Library, alongside a selection of data available on the Department's In Your Area web site. The Department uses IDACI to analyse pupil attainment in deprived areas and information about whether a pupil achieved five or more GCSEs or equivalent including English and maths GCSEs has only been available on the Department's National Pupil Database since the 2003/04 academic year. The information has been split into two separate tables as IDACI deciles for the years 2003/04 to 2006/07 are based on the 2004 IDACI scores, while IDACI deciles for the years 2007/08 to 2008/09 are based on the 2007 IDACI scores. The 2007 IDACI scores are updated versions of the 2004 scores, however there were some changes in the scoring criteria which means that care should be taken when comparing the two.
	
		
			  Number of pupils resident( 1)  in the bottom and top 10% of IDACI deciles( 2)  and bottom and top 1% of IDACI percentiles( 2)  achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including equivalents, including English and mathematics GCSEs, 2008/09 
			   Percentage  Number of pupils at the end of KS41  Number of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths GCSEs  Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths GCSEs 
			 IDACI decile(2) 0-10 most deprived 67,292 22,395 33.3 
			  90-100 least deprived 52,612 37,967 72.2 
			 IDACI percentile(2) 0-1 most deprived 7,180 2,384 33.2 
			  99-100 least deprived 5,034 3,904 77.6 
			 (1) Includes pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2008/09 and resident in England, attending LA maintained schools, including CTCs and academies. (2) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices. Each SOA in England is given a score which ranks it between 1 and 32,482, 1 being the most deprived.  Source:  National Pupil Database (final data) 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of pupils resident( 1)  in the bottom and top 10% of IDACI deciles( 2)  achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including equivalents, including English and mathematics, science and a modern language( 3) , 2008/09 
			   Percentage  Number of pupils at the end of KS41  Number of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths, science and a modern language( 3)  Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths, science and a modern language( 3) 
			 IDACI decile(2) 0-10 most deprived 67,292 7,811 11.6 
			  90-100 least deprived 52,612 22,524 42.8 
			 (1) Includes pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2008/09 and resident in England, attending LA maintained schools, including CTCs and academies. (2) Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices. Each SOA in England is given a score which ranks it between 1 and 32,482, 1 being the most deprived. (3) Pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent, including English and maths (GCSE only), science (GCSE only) and a Modern Foreign Language (GCSE and equivalents).  Source:  National Pupil Database (final data)

Schools: Admissions

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary short stay school places are available in each local authority area.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 12 July 2010
	The legislative provision which changed the name of pupil referral units to short stay schools was to be commenced on 1 September 2010. We have decided to delay commencement and plan to introduce provisions in Parliament in due course to repeal the name change. In the meantime pupil referral units will continue to be called by that name.
	Information on the number of places available in pupil referral units (PRUs) is not available, however, information on the number of pupils in PRUs is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Pupil referral units: number of pupils by age( 1,2)  as at January 2010, in England, by local authority 
			   Number of pupils aged:( 2) 
			   Under 5  5 to 10  11 to 15  16 to 19+  All ages 
			  England 40 600 12,260 340 13,240 
			   
			  North East 0 20 530 30 580 
			 Darlington 0 x 70 x 80 
			 Durham 0 10 80 0 90 
			 Gateshead 0 x 90 0 90 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Middlesbrough 0 0 50 10 70 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 10 90 0 100 
			 North Tyneside 0 0 x 10 20 
			 Northumberland 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 x 70 0 70 
			 South Tyneside 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Sunderland 0 x 30 0 30 
			   
			  North West 10 120 1,910 10 2,040 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 x 80 x 80 
			 Blackpool 0 x 250 0 250 
			 Bolton 10 50 90 x 140 
			 Bury 0 0 90 0 90 
			 Cheshire East 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 x 50 0 60 
			 Halton 0 0 40 0 40 
			 Knowsley 0 0 70 0 70 
			 Lancashire 0 10 290 0 310 
			 Liverpool 0 10 60 0 70 
			 Manchester 0 20 120 0 140 
			 Oldham 0 0 130 0 130 
			 Rochdale 0 10 60 0 70 
			 Salford 0 x 90 0 100 
			 Sefton 0 x 160 0 160 
			 St Helens 0 0 40 0 40 
			 Stockport 0 0 70 10 80 
			 Tameside 0 10 70 0 80 
			 Trafford 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Warrington 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Wigan 0 0 60 0 60 
			 Wirral 0 0 60 0 60 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 0 50 960 10 1,020 
			 Barnsley 0 10 60 0 70 
			 Bradford 0 20 240 0 260 
			 Calderdale 0 x 40 0 40 
			 Doncaster 0 10 130 0 140 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 0 x 30 10 50 
			 Kirklees 0 0 60 0 60 
			 Leeds 0 x 70 0 70 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 x 20 0 20 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 70 0 70 
			 Rotherham 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Sheffield 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Wakefield 0 0 70 0 70 
			 York 0 x 100 0 100 
			   
			  East Midlands 0 80 1,100 0 1,170 
			 Derby 0 20 160 0 180 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 190 0 190 
			 Leicester 0 10 30 0 40 
			 Leicestershire 0 20 40 0 60 
			 Lincolnshire 0 10 230 0 230 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 190 0 190 
			 Nottingham 0 10 120 0 130 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 10 160 0 170 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  West Midlands x 90 1,340 30 1,460 
			 Birmingham x 40 270 x 310 
			 Coventry 0 x 100 0 100 
			 Dudley 0 x 20 0 30 
			 Herefordshire 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Sandwell 0 10 80 30 120 
			 Shropshire 0 x 50 0 50 
			 Solihull 0 x 120 0 130 
			 Staffordshire 0 10 180 x 190 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 x 10 0 20 
			 Telford and Wrekin 0 x 140 0 140 
			 Walsall 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Warwickshire 0 10 110 0 120 
			 Wolverhampton 0 x 120 0 120 
			 Worcestershire 0 10 50 0 60 
			   
			  East of England 0 70 1,030 10 1,100 
			 Bedford 0 x 70 0 70 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 100 0 100 
			 Central Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 10 190 x 210 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 190 0 190 
			 Luton 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Norfolk 0 20 170 x 180 
			 Peterborough 0 10 90 0 90 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 x 40 0 40 
			 Suffolk 0 10 100 10 120 
			 Thurrock 0 10 70 0 80 
			   
			  London 30 130 2,720 220 3,100 
			  Inner London 30 70 1,340 200 1,640 
			 Camden 30 10 30 0 60 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 0 x 190 0 190 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 x 150 0 150 
			 Haringey 0 0 70 x 80 
			 Islington 0 10 70 x 80 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 30 0 30 
			 Lambeth 0 20 200 20 240 
			 Lewisham 0 x 120 0 120 
			 Newham x 0 90 180 270 
			 Southwark 0 20 80 0 100 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 0 190 x 190 
			 Wandsworth 0 0 100 x 100 
			 Westminster 0 0 40 0 40 
			   
			  Outer London 0 60 1,380 20 1,460 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 10 210 x 230 
			 Barnet 0 0 60 10 70 
			 Bexley 0 20 90 0 110 
			 Brent 0 x 110 x 120 
			 Bromley 0 0 80 0 80 
			 Croydon 0 20 160 x 180 
			 Ealing 0 x 90 0 90 
			 Enfield 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Greenwich 0 0 80 0 80 
			 Harrow 0 10 60 0 70 
			 Havering 0 x 80 0 80 
			 Hillingdon 0 0 30 0 30 
			 Hounslow 0 x 90 0 90 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Merton 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Redbridge 0 0 70 0 70 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Sutton 0 0 70 0 70 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 10 0 10 
			   
			  South East x 40 1,720 20 1,780 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 x 40 x 40 
			 Brighton and Hove 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 0 0 80 x 80 
			 East Sussex 0 x 60 0 70 
			 Hampshire 0 x 270 0 280 
			 Isle of Wight 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Kent 0 x 430 10 440 
			 Medway 0 0 110 0 110 
			 Milton Keynes 0 x 60 0 60 
			 Oxfordshire 0 0 110 0 110 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading 0 10 130 x 130 
			 Slough 0 0 70 x 80 
			 Southampton 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Surrey x 20 120 x 140 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 40 10 40 
			 West Sussex 0 x 100 0 100 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Wokingham 0 0 10 0 10 
			   
			  South West 0 20 960 10 990 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bournemouth 0 x 30 0 30 
			 Bristol, City of 0 0 80 x 90 
			 Cornwall 0 x 30 0 30 
			 Devon 0 0 120 0 120 
			 Dorset 0 x 60 0 60 
			 Gloucestershire 0 10 100 0 110 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 0 x 30 0 30 
			 Plymouth 0 0 120 0 120 
			 Poole 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Somerset 0 x 100 x 100 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 x 50 x 50 
			 Swindon 0 x 120 x 120 
			 Torbay 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 90 x 90 
			 "x" = fewer than five pupils.  (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. Includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. Excludes 2,310 dual main registered pupils and 8,360 dual subsidiary registered pupils.  (2) Age as at 31 August 2009.   Note:  Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.   Source:  Pupil Referral Unit Census.

Schools: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of his Department's expenditure on education to be delivered to schools directly in 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Revenue funding for maintained schools currently goes through local authorities. We have inherited a needlessly complex system of funding which it is our intention to simplify.
	The core element of maintained school revenue funding is the Dedicated Schools Grant, which the Department distributes to local authorities, who then allocate it to schools in consultation with their Schools Forum. The total Dedicated Schools Grant allocation for financial year 2010-11 is £30.6 billion (this is post the removal of an estimate of academy recoupment). Data on school budgets for 2010-11 are an Official Statistic that are due to be published in September 2010 and will be titled 'Financial reports on Local Authority planned budgets for their education and children's social care functions: 2010-11 (section 251 formerly s52)'. These Official Statistics will also inform how much of the Dedicated Schools Grant has been held centrally by the local authority. In 2009-10 approximately £26.1 billion, excluding funding from the Learning and Skills Council, was budgeted for schools directly as reported by local authorities as at November 2008. This represents approximately 88% of the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2009-10 of £29.6 billion (post recoupment for Academies). Assuming that the proportion of the Dedicated Schools Grant that is passed to schools remains constant, is approximately £27.0 billion would be passed directly to schools in 2010-11.
	In addition to the Dedicated Schools Grants there are several grants which are fully passported direct to schools via the local authority. The totals for these grants for financial year 2010-11 are:
	School Standards Grant and School Standard Grant (Personalisation) = £1.6 billion;
	School Development Grant = £1.9 billion.
	In addition, there are some grants where a component of the grant may be held by the local authority if agreed by the Schools Forum but else otherwise are passed to schools:
	Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant = £202 million;
	School Lunch grant = £76 million.
	Total Devolved Formula Capital grant payable to maintained schools amounts to £600 million in 2010-11, after deducting an advance of £377 million that was made in 2009-10. The equivalent figure for Academies (i.e. net of advance), excluding 80 September 2010 openers which have the grant paid to them via their local authorities, is £12.3 million.
	Academies are funded directly by the Department through the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA). Academy funding includes a school budget share which is based on the principle of equivalency of funding within any particular local authority. In addition, there are start-up grants, funding in lieu of local authority centrally retained budgets for activities that academies are responsible for, a grant for VAT and other grants as paid to maintained schools for which academies are also eligible. Academies are funding on an academic year basis. The financial year 2010-11 cost is not precisely known as academic year 2010-11 allocations are not complete for all academies. However, the initial transfer to the YPLA for grant to open academies for financial 2010-11, as set out in the agency's remit letter, is £1.72 billion.
	Until the above-mentioned Official Statistics are published, it is not possible to proportion out the funding that is allocated to schools precisely. However, considering the above estimates, approximately 67% of the Department's planned expenditure on schools of £49.084 billion would be passed to schools directly in 2010-11. This equates to 57% of the total £57.775 billion of the Departmental Expenditure Limit for 2010-11 as reported in the Departmental Annual Report 2009.

Special Educational Needs

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age with statements of special educational needs are placed in short stay schools in each local authority area.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 12 July 2010
	The legislative provision which changed the name of pupil referral units to short stay schools was to be commenced on 1 September 2010. We have decided to delay commencement and plan to introduce provisions in Parliament in due course to repeal the name change. In the meantime pupil referral units (PRUs) will continue to be called by that name.
	The requested information relating to PRUs is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Pupil referral units: number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs by age( 1, 2)  as at January 2010 in England, by local authority 
			   Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs aged :( 2) 
			   Under 5  5 to 10  11 to 15  16 to 19+  All ages 
			   
			  England x 200 1,470 20 1,700 
			   
			  North East 0 x 20 0 30 
			 Darlington 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gateshead 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Middlesbrough 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumberland 0 x x 0 x 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 0 x 0 x 
			 South Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Sunderland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  North West 0 20 160 0 190 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Blackpool 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Bolton 0 10 10 0 20 
			 Bury 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Cheshire East 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cumbria 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Halton 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Knowsley 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Lancashire 0 10 10 0 20 
			 Liverpool 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Manchester 0 x x 0 x 
			 Oldham 0 0 40 0 40 
			 Rochdale 0 x 0 0 x 
			 Salford 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Sefton 0 0 20 0 20 
			 St. Helens 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Stockport 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Tameside 0 x 0 0 x 
			 Trafford 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Warrington 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wigan 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Wirral 0 0 10 0 10 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 0 20 200 0 230 
			 Barnsley 0 10 20 0 20 
			 Bradford 0 10 120 0 130 
			 Calderdale 0 x x 0 x 
			 Doncaster 0 x 10 0 10 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 0 x x 0 10 
			 Kirklees 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Leeds 0 0 x 0 x 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 x 10 0 10 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Rotherham 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Sheffield 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Wakefield 0 0 10 0 10 
			 York 0 x 10 0 20 
			   
			  East Midlands 0 20 130 0 160 
			 Derby 0 x 10 0 20 
			 Derbyshire 0 0 40 0 40 
			 Leicester 0 10 0 0 10 
			 Leicestershire 0 10 x 0 10 
			 Lincolnshire 0 x 40 0 40 
			 Northamptonshire 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Nottingham 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 x 20 0 20 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  West Midlands 0 30 150 x 170 
			 Birmingham 0 10 x 0 20 
			 Coventry 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Dudley 0 x 0 0 x 
			 Herefordshire 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Sandwell 0 x x 0 10 
			 Shropshire 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Solihull 0 0 30 0 30 
			 Staffordshire 0 x 20 x 20 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Walsall 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 0 x 20 0 20 
			 Wolverhampton 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Worcestershire 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  East of England 0 40 130 x 160 
			 Bedford 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Central Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex 0 x 10 0 20 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Luton 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 0 10 20 0 30 
			 Peterborough 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 x 0 0 x 
			 Suffolk 0 10 30 x 40 
			 Thurrock 0 10 20 0 20 
			   
			  London x 50 280 10 340 
			 Inner London x 30 120 10 160 
			 Camden x 10 x 0 10 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 0 x 20 0 20 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Haringey 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Islington 0 x 10 x 10 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Lambeth 0 10 x 0 10 
			 Lewisham 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Newham 0 0 10 x 10 
			 Southwark 0 x 0 0 x 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 0 20 x 20 
			 Wandsworth 0 0 20 x 20 
			 Westminster 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  Outer London 0 20 160 x 180 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 10 30 0 30 
			 Barnet 0 0 x x x 
			 Bexley 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Brent 0 x 10 x 20 
			 Bromley 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Croydon 0 x 10 x 20 
			 Ealing 0 x 10 0 20 
			 Enfield 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Greenwich 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Harrow 0 x x 0 10 
			 Havering 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Hillingdon 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hounslow 0 0 40 0 40 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Merton 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Redbridge 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sutton 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 0 
			   
			  South East x 20 240 10 260 
			 Bracknell Forest 0 0 10 x 10 
			 Brighton and Hove 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Sussex 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Hampshire 0 x 70 0 70 
			 Isle of Wight 0 0 10 0 10 
			 Kent 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Medway 0 0 50 0 50 
			 Milton Keynes 0 x x 0 x 
			 Oxfordshire 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading 0 x 10 x 20 
			 Slough 0 0 10 x 10 
			 Southampton 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey x 10 20 0 30 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 x x 10 
			 West Sussex 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Wokingham 0 0 x 0 x 
			   
			  South West 0 10 160 x 170 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bournemouth 0 x x 0 10 
			 Bristol, City of 0 0 10 x 10 
			 Cornwall 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Devon 0 0 30 0 30 
			 Dorset 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Gloucestershire 0 x 20 0 20 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 0 x 10 0 10 
			 Plymouth 0 0 x 0 x 
			 Poole 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Somerset 0 x 10 x 20 
			 South Gloucestershire 0 0 20 0 20 
			 Swindon 0 x 50 0 50 
			 Torbay 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 0 10 0 10 
			 x = fewer than 5 pupils. (1 )Excludes dually registered pupils. Includes pupils registered with other providers and further education colleges. (2 )Age as at 31 August 2009. Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Pupil Referral Unit Census

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Benefit

Jane Ellison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the level of housing benefit payments on people's willingness to seek employment.

Maria Miller: Welfare dependency has grown over the last 10 years: 4.9 million people are now claiming out of work benefits-the highest level since 1998-99.
	Work should pay; we must do more to improve incentives to start, and stay in, work. Housing benefit payments of up to £2,000 a week give people little chance of ever escaping benefit dependency and making work worth while.

Housing Benefit

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of households in receipt of local housing allowance of more than  (a) £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) £200 for a one bedroom property in Lewisham East constituency in 2010-11.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of households in receipt of weekly local housing allowance of more than  (a) £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) £200 for a one bedroom property in (i) Ashfield, (ii) Argyll and Bute and (iii) Na h-Eileanan an Iar constituency.

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of people resident in Cynon Valley constituency in receipt of weekly local housing allowance of over  (a) £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) £200 for a one bedroom property in 2010-11.

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of people in Birmingham, Erdington constituency in receipt of weekly local housing allowance of over  (a) £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) £200 for a one bedroom property in 2010-11.

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people in Clwyd South constituency in receipt of weekly local housing allowance of over  (a) £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) £200 for a one bedroom property.

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households in East Lothian constituency in receipt of local housing allowance of  (a) over £400 per week for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) over £340 per week for a three bedroom property,  (c) over £290 per week for a two bedroom property and  (d) over £200 per week for a one bedroom property in 2010-11.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of households in Bristol East constituency in receipt of weekly local housing allowance payments of  (a) over £400 for a four or five bedroom property,  (b) over £340 for a three bedroom property,  (c) over £290 for a two bedroom property and  (d) over £200 for a one bedroom property in 2010-11.

Steve Webb: The information is not available at the constituency level.
	An exercise is being undertaken to add other geographical areas to the housing benefit data: this will include parliamentary constituencies. It is hoped this exercise will be completed by early 2011.

Housing Benefit

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of social sector tenants in East Lothian constituency whose housing benefit payments will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; what estimate he has made of the average reduction in weekly payments of that allowance; and what estimate he has made of the effect of those reductions on the level of revenue from housing accruing to East Lothian council.

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of social sector tenants in the City of Durham constituency whose housing benefit payments will be reduced from their current levels in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; what his estimate is of the average weekly reduction in benefit for such people; what estimate has been made of the effects of such reductions on the local authority's housing revenue; and what assessment has been made of the effect of the reductions on new build in the social sector.

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of social sector tenants in Newport East constituency whose housing benefit payments will be reduced from their current levels in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; what his estimate is of the average reduction in benefit of such people; what estimate has been made of the effects of such reductions on the local authority's housing revenue; and what assessment has been made of the effect of the reductions on new build in the social sector.

Steve Webb: I refer the hon. Members to the written answer I gave on 8 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 435-37 to the hon. Member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper).

Housing Benefit

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of private sector tenants in East Lothian constituency whose local housing allowance payments will be reduced in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what estimate he has made of the average reduction in weekly payments of that allowance to such tenants.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of private sector tenants whose local housing allowance payments will fall in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what estimate he has made of the average reduction in such weekly payments.

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of private sector tenants in Edinburgh East constituency whose local housing allowance payments will fall in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what estimate he has made of the average reduction in weekly payments of that allowance in each such year.

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of private sector tenants in City of Durham constituency whose local housing allowance will be reduced from its current level in each year from 2011-12 to 2014-15; and what his estimate is of the average amount of reduction for such a tenant in each of those years.

Steve Webb: We will publish an impact assessment for the housing benefit changes that will affect the calculation of local housing allowance rates on 23 July 2010.

Housing Benefit

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider phasing in the proposed reductions to housing benefit over a three-year period in areas likely to be significantly affected.

Steve Webb: The Department is taking a phased approach to reductions in the housing benefit rates. Some of the measures aimed at reducing local housing allowance rates will come into force in April 2011, but the measure to set rates at the 30th percentile will not come into force until October 2011. Existing customers will not be affected by these changes until their claim is reviewed by the local authority, usually on the anniversary of the date they originally made their claim.
	There will be staged increases in the rates of non-dependant deductions in the income-related benefits from April 2011. In order to minimise the impacts on customers and their non-dependants, we will introduce these changes in three phases.
	We intend to introduce further measures, which require primary legislation, from April 2013. These are: set local housing allowance rates according to the consumer price index; restrict housing benefit for working age tenants in the social rented sector, where people live in a property that is too large for their needs; and reduce housing benefit entitlement by 10% for customers who are claiming jobseeker's allowance after one year.

Housing Benefit

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the proposed reductions in housing benefit will apply to those already in receipt of the benefit.

Steve Webb: The Government intend to apply those measures that will reduce local housing allowance rates to existing customers. However, these customers will not be affected until their claims are reviewed by the local authority, which usually takes place on the anniversary of the date they originally made their claim.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is considering the detailed policy design for housing benefit measures that require primary legislation: set local housing allowance rates according to the consumer price index; restrict housing benefit for working age tenants in the social rented sector, where people live in a property that is too large for their needs; and reduce housing benefit entitlement by 10% for customers who are claiming jobseeker's allowance after one year. It is too early to say how these changes will be applied to customers who are in receipt of housing benefit when they come into force.

Youth Unemployment

Stuart Andrew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce the level of youth unemployment.

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce the level of youth unemployment.

Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to reduce the level of youth unemployment.

Chris Grayling: The Government are committed to tackling youth unemployment. Young people are able to access a comprehensive range of opportunities, support and advice that will help them find employment.
	Next year we will introduce our Work Programme. This will offer integrated employment support to young people, regardless of the benefit that they claim.

Pension Calculations

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on the use of the consumer price index to calculate final salary pensions.

Steve Webb: The Government have received representations from a number of organisations and individuals.

Future Jobs Fund

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of young people who have found permanent employment through the future jobs fund; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: This information is not available. We are currently planning an evaluation strategy for future jobs fund. This is likely to look at the destinations of people who have participated in the Future Jobs Fund.

Work Capability Assessment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effects on people with long-term mental illness of the implementation of the recommendations of the internal review of the work capability assessment.

Maria Miller: Implementing the recommendations of the internal review will ensure that the work capability assessment is fairer, more consistent and transparent with greater provision for claimants with severe disability due to mental health conditions.
	There will also be additional provision for claimants who are awaiting or in between courses of chemotherapy, and for those with certain communication problems. The recommendations will also take greater account of how someone has adapted to their health condition or disability, and will simplify the wording of the assessment.

Children: Maintenance

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for child maintenance were made under the current scheme which led to an outstanding assessment or continuing claim under the old scheme in respect of the same absentee parent being moved to be dealt with under the current scheme in each year since the inception of the current scheme.

Maria Miller: The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Susan Park:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner. As the Child Maintenance Commissioner is currently on annual leave I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for child maintenance were made under the current scheme which led to an outstanding assessment or continuing claim under the old scheme in respect of the same absentee parent being moved to be dealt with under the current scheme in each year since the inception of the current scheme.
	A new scheme application can have a financial impact on an existing old scheme case when either the non-resident parent or the parent with care on the new application is also the non-resident parent or parent with care on the existing case. In this situation, the old scheme cases in question will also be converted to the new scheme. This is called reactive conversion. In some cases, the partners of non-resident parents or the partners of parents with care may also trigger a reactive conversion.
	The table below shows the number of cases moved to the current scheme in each year since its inception.
	
		
			   Converted cases 
			  March:  
			 2004 11,500 
			 2005 13,100 
			 2006 16,100 
			 2007 21,200 
			 2008 14,900 
			 2009 8,200 
			 2010 13,600 
			  Note:  Figures are rounded to the nearest 100.

Departmental Civil Servants

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees of his Department attended Civil Service Live in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010; and what estimate he has made of the (i) employee working hours taken up by and (ii) cost to his Department of such attendance in each such year.

Chris Grayling: Civil Service Live events are owned and managed by the private company Dods (the publishers of Civil Service World), who bear all of the financial risks.
	The overall delegate numbers for Civil Service Live in 2008, 2009 and 2010 were approximately 6,000, 8,000 and 7,700 respectively. Delegate registration is managed centrally by Dods. The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold a record of the number of its staff who attended. Employees were expected to attend for no more than one working day.
	Civil servants do not pay to attend Civil Service Live events. The Department has paid some travel and subsistence costs for employees. These costs are not held centrally and cannot be disaggregated at reasonable cost; staff will have followed the travel and subsistence guidelines set by the Department.

Departmental Leave

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his most recent estimate is of the cost to his Department of privilege days awarded to staff in his Department.

Chris Grayling: No official estimate has been made of the cost to the Department of privilege days.
	The actual cost is dependant on when the privilege days falls, how many people take leave on that day, and what work is re-prioritised or re-scheduled as a result of the absence.

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 26 May 2010,  Official Report, columns 2-3WS, on savings (2010-11), under what budgetary headings the £535 million of savings allocated to his Department will be made.

Chris Grayling: The Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced in-year savings of £6.243 billion on 24 May 2010. The Department for Work and Pensions' contribution to this was £535 million. The cost saving will be made from budgets for the young persons guarantee, the six month offer, IT and other project investment, cost reductions from major suppliers, staff savings by implementing a recruitment freeze and not renewing the contracts of some fixed term-appointments, reductions in discretionary spending (which includes business travel and office expenses) and reducing the cost of our buildings. These savings can be achieved without affecting service delivery to customers, including the guarantee of an offer of a job, training or work experience for young people.

Disability Living Allowance

Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the  (a) rate of uptake and  (b) monetary value of unclaimed benefits relating to disability living allowance in respect of disabled (i) children and (ii) adults in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Miller: Estimates of the rate of take-up and amount of unclaimed disability living allowance are not available.

Disability Living Allowance

Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his plans to introduce a medical assessment for disability living allowance from 2013 will include child claimants.

Maria Miller: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) on 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 212W.
	The Chancellor announced in his emergency Budget that the Government will reform disability living allowance to ensure support is targeted on those with the highest needs and will consider carefully how reforms will impact on children.

Disability Living Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much he intends to reduce expenditure on disability living allowance award in each year to 2015; what steps he plans to take to achieve such reductions; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Miller: The Budget announced that we will introduce a new objective assessment for disability living allowance from 2013-14 and will begin to uprate the benefit by the consumer prices index (CPI) from 2011-12. The estimated savings from forecast expenditure resulting from these changes are in the following table.
	
		
			  Impact of Budget measures for disability living allowance 
			  £ million, nominal 
			   New assessment  Uprating by CPI 
			 2011-12 - 10 
			 2012-13 - -85 
			 2013-14 -350 -235 
			 2014-15 -1,040 -415 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for Great Britain only. 2. The estimates cover the impact of: (a) not reducing uprating in April 2011 by the 1.5% that was paid from April 2010, which had been assumed in previous plans to be clawed back; and (b) changing the price index for uprating from the retail prices index or the Rossi index to the consumer prices index with effect from the April 2011 uprating. 3. Estimates have been revised by DWP forecasting division during the finalisation of benefit level forecasts and are consistent with economic assumptions from Budget 22 June 2010. 4. Estimates of savings are only available up to 2014-15 at present.  Source: DWP calculations

Disability Living Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in each category of disability receive disability living allowance awards at the  (a) higher and  (b) lower rate.

Maria Miller: The information on the numbers of people in each disabling category receiving disability living allowance is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			   Arthritis  Muscle/ j oint/bone disease  Blindness/v isual disease  Stroke related  Learning difficulty 
			 All 582,100 221,700 69,300 111,200 347,900 
			   
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility 102,700 36,200 2,200 33,300 35,400 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility 1,300 1,000 2,500 1,500 44,500 
			 Higher Care Only 3,400 1,900 200 700 6,700 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility 129,800 42,100 3,100 30,700 10,200 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 3,500 3,500 22,900 4,900 136,300 
			 Middle Care Only 6,900 4,900 1,200 1,500 22,300 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility 155,100 42,600 1,300 15,900 1,000 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility 4,500 3,700 27,600 4,700 40,100 
			 Lower Care Only 56,900 41,400 1,300 8,300 10,900 
			 Higher Mobility Only 116,900 43,700 500 8,500 11,200 
			 Lower Mobility Only 1,200 800 6,400 900 29,300 
		
	
	
		
			   Mental health causes  Epilepsy  Deafness  Malignant disease  Chest disease 
			 All 516,400 72,400 40,400 80,500 92,600 
			   
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility 29,000 5,800 600 46,000 20,900 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility 87,800 8,900 400 900 600 
			 Higher Care Only 3,900 1,200 300 2,400 2,600 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility 13,000 4,400 1,200 9,200 22,500 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 183,400 39,800 15,400 1,300 700 
			 Middle Care Only 20,100 2,800 9,600 1,300 1,000 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility 5,200 600 500 6,300 14,500 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility 84,600 3,300 5,100 1,300 400 
			 Lower Care Only 30,600 1,600 4,200 6,600 1,800 
			 Higher Mobility Only 8,800 1,600 500 4,900 27,400 
			 Lower Mobility Only 50,000 2,500 2,600 200 200 
		
	
	
		
			   Back ailments  Heart disease  Parkinson's disease  Diabetes  M ellitus  Renal disorders 
			 All 244,600 142,100 18,400 59,800 14,900 
			   
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility 36,800 24,000 8,500 8,100 3,200 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility 300 800 200 2,900 300 
			 Higher Care Only 500 1,800 400 2,800 1,000 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility 46,400 28,800 4,200 9,100 3,600 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 1,900 1,900 200 6,200 500 
			 Middle Care Only 2,600 1,500 400 14,500 1,200 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility 75,100 24,600 1,900 5,400 1,800 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility 2,700 1,300 200 2,100 200 
			 Lower Care Only 26,100 4,500 1,200 3,600 1,200 
			 Higher Mobility Only 51,300 52,200 1,000 4,600 1,800 
			 Lower Mobility Only 900 700 - 500 100 
		
	
	
		
			   AIDS  Skin disease  Frailty  Multiple Sclerosis  Other 
			 All 8,600 16,500 3,200 68,000 408,600 
			   
			 Higher Care and Higher Mobility 4,600 1,000 1,600 28,600 81,300 
			 Higher Care and Lower Mobility 200 200 - - 17,000 
			 Higher Care Only 200 2,600 100 100 9,600 
			 Middle Care and Higher Mobility 1,100 1,100 700 20,400 73,100 
			 Middle Care and Lower Mobility 200 200 200 400 39,400 
			 Middle Care Only 200 2,600 100 100 17,600 
			 Lower Care and Higher Mobility 800 1,400 100 8,900 54,000 
			 Lower Care and Lower Mobility 300 100 - 700 16,600 
			 Lower Care Only 500 5,700 - 1,700 38,700 
			 Higher Mobility Only 500 1,400 200 6,600 55,600 
			 Lower Mobility Only - 100 - 400 5,800 
			  Notes: 1. DLA figures are from 5% sample data. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition (DLA) is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. This has been done here. 3. Caseload totals show the number of people in receipt of DLA , and excludes people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 5. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. 6. Numbers of 500 or less are based on very few sample cases and are subject to a high degree of sampling variation. 7. These figures should be used as a guide to the current situation only.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Disability Living Allowance

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from representatives of disability groups on the proposal in the June 2010 Budget  (a) to introduce medical assessments for disability living allowance and  (b) to amend other aspects of the allowance.

Maria Miller: Ministers have received a number of representations (in writing and in person) from disability groups on the proposals to introduce a new objective assessment for disability living allowance from 2013-14 and to uprate the benefit in line with the consumer prices index from 2011-12 onwards.
	As we develop our proposals, we will continue to engage constructively with disabled people and a broad range of representative organisations to ensure support is effectively targeted on those with greatest need and distributed on a consistent basis, while continuing to tackle the inequalities that can arise from severe disability.

Disability Living Allowance: Carers

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of reductions in expenditure in  (a) carer's allowance and  (b) carer premium in relation to all benefits as a result of changing the disability living allowance system in the first four years of the operation of the new rules;
	(2)  whether he has made an evaluation of the effects of changes to the disability living allowance system on the amount of benefits paid to carers.

Maria Miller: The Emergency Budget made the commitment to reform disability living allowance to ensure it supports those people who are most in need and remains financially sustainable. We will introduce a more objective assessment process and, as part of these reforms, carefully consider how this impacts upon carer's allowance, the carer premium and other benefits.
	As we develop our proposals, we will engage with disabled people and carers' organisations to ensure support is distributed on a consistent basis, while continuing to tackle the inequalities that can arise from severe disability.

Disability Living Allowance: Chester

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents of city of Chester constituency have been claiming disability living allowance for  (a) less than one year,  (b) between one and five years and  (c) over five years.

Maria Miller: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Recipients of disability living allowance by duration, in the parliamentary constituency of city of Chester-November 2009 
			   Number 
			 All recipients 4,850 
			 Less than one year 300 
			 One year to five years 1,080 
			 Over five years 3,480 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied.  2. Figures may not sum due to rounding.  3. Caseload for DLA show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  4. Constituencies used are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100% data.

Disability Living Allowance: Fraud

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to identify potentially fraudulent claims for disability living allowance.

Chris Grayling: The Department carries out various checks on a selection of disability living allowance live cases to ensure they are correct. Where appropriate, additional medical evidence may also be sought from a relevant health care professional. This may include a medical examination. We also match data both within and outside Government to identify inconsistencies in information.
	As announced in the Emergency Budget on 22 June, the Government plan to reform DLA. This will include introducing a transparent, objective assessment to ensure it is received by those who it was originally designed to support.

Employment Support Allowance

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the weekly deduction of allowance is in respect of claimants of  (a) jobseeker's allowance and  (b) employment and support allowance who have exceeded their allowable amount of assets; and for what reasons the deduction was set at that level in each case.

Chris Grayling: The weekly deduction for both income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment and support allowance is £1 for each £250 or part of £250 over the lower capital threshold of £6,000 (or £10,000 for people living in a care home).
	The deduction was set at this level in order to provide a simple method of calculating the weekly contribution which people with capital are expected to make from their resources to help meet their normal living expenses. The deduction is not intended to represent any rate of return that could be obtained from investing in capital.
	There is no entitlement to income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance if capital exceeds £16,000.
	The contributory element of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance is not affected by capital assets.

Employment Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will commission an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of medical assessments for employment support allowance before introducing a medical assessment for disability living allowance.

Chris Grayling: We have a statutory commitment to arrange an independent review of the main elements of the work capability assessment every year for the first five years of operation. The review will be conducted by Professor Malcolm Harrington, acting as lead reviewer. Professor Harrington is a highly respected occupational physician and will be supported by a scrutiny group, who will review progress at intervals and peer review the final report. It is anticipated that a call for evidence will be made later this month.
	As set out in last month's Budget Statement, a new objective assessment will not be introduced for disability living allowance until 2013-2014. This will draw on experience of the introduction of the work capability assessment as we develop the details of the new assessment for disability living allowance.

Employment Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many medical assessments for employment and support allowance have been  (a) completed and  (b) completed and later amended in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The Department regularly publishes official statistics on the work capability assessment-the statistics were last updated in April 2010 and published in the report "Employment and Support Allowance: Work Capability Assessment: Official Statistics: April 2010", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The information is also available on the internet at the following address:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_arc.asp

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in the London borough of  (a) Camden and  (b) Brent and in receipt of housing benefit are (i) pensioners and (i) of working age and (A) in employment and (B) not in employment.

Steve Webb: The available information is in the table. Information on whether a claimant of housing benefit is in employment or not in employment is not available.
	
		
			  The number of housing benefit (HB) claimants by age group - March 2010 
			   London borough of Brent  London borough of Camden 
			 All HB claimants 33,570 28,300 
			 Working age HB claimants 26,040 19,810 
			 Elderly HB claimants 7,520 8,490 
			 Unknown age HB claimants 20 (1)- 
			 (1 )Nil or negligible.   Notes:  1. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month.  2. Data are rounded to the nearest 10. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  3. March 2010 represents the latest data held.  4. Working age is defined as claimants in receipt of the following passported benefits, as recorded on the LA computer system: income support, jobseeker's allowance (income-based) or employment support allowance (income-based). If the claim is not passported then a claimant is counted as working age if they are aged under 60.  5. Elderly is defined as claimants in receipt of the following passported benefit, as recorded on the LA computer system: pension credit (guarantee credit). If the claim is not passported then a claimant is counted as elderly if they are aged 60 or over.   Source:  Single Housing Benefit Extract 100% individual level data (SHBE).

Housing Benefit: Greater London

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families resident in London are in receipt of  (a) housing benefit,  (b) housing benefit of over £250 per week for a one bedroom property,  (c) housing benefit of over £290 per week for a two bedroom property,  (d) housing benefit of over £340 per week for a three bedroom property and  (e) housing benefit of over £400 per week for a property with four or more bedrooms.

Steve Webb: At March 2010 our records show that there were 792,890 households in London receiving housing benefit. Of these, 548,660 were in the social rented sector and 242,850 were in the private rented sector.
	Information on bedroom entitlement is only available for those housing benefit claims assessed under the local housing allowance arrangements. Of those in the private rented sector, 166,780 households in London received housing benefit under the local housing allowance arrangements, of which there were:
	3,320 households with a one-bedroom entitlement receiving over £250 per week;
	6,950 households with a two-bedroom entitlement receiving over £290 per week;
	2,710 households with a three-bedroom entitlement receiving over £340 per week; and
	1,900 households with a four-bedroom entitlement receiving over £400 per week.
	 Notes:
	1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 recipients.
	2. The single housing benefit extract does not have bedroom entitlement recorded in 4% of the local housing allowance cases in the London Government office region so there may be some underestimation in the numbers reported.
	3. Components may not sum to total due to independent rounding and exclusion of unknown and other small categories.
	 Source:
	Single Housing Benefit Extract

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the average  (a) private sector rent level and  (b) housing benefit paid to claimants in private sector accommodation in the London Borough of Islington for (i) four bedroom, (ii) two bedroom and (iii) one bedroom accommodation;
	(2)  what the average level of  (a) private sector rent and  (b) housing benefit paid to claimants in private sector accommodation was for (i) four bedroom, (ii) two bedroom and (iii) one bedroom accommodation in London in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The information requested on average private rented sector rents is not available.
	At March 2010, in the London borough of Islington, the average housing benefit paid for customers assessed under the local housing allowance arrangements was:
	£168 per week for those with a one-bedroom entitlement;
	£291 per week for those with a two-bedroom entitlement; and
	£482 per week for those with a four-bedroom entitlement.
	At March 2010, in London, the average housing benefit paid for customers assessed under the local housing allowance arrangements was:
	£156 per week for those with a one-bedroom entitlement;
	£204 per week for those with a two-bedroom entitlement; and
	£326 per week for those with a four-bedroom entitlement.
	 N ote:
	Figures rounded to the nearest £.
	 Source:
	Single Housing Benefit Extract

Housing Benefit: Homelessness

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of  (a) homeless people and  (b) those sleeping rough of the proposed changes to housing benefit.

Steve Webb: We are working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the devolved Administrations to assess the impacts of the proposed changes to housing benefit, including looking at ways to minimise any risk of adverse impacts on local authorities' homelessness prevention strategies.

Housing Benefit: Local Government Finance

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends to provide additional funding to those local authorities where there is a difference between prevailing rent levels and the level of housing benefit.

Steve Webb: The Government will provide additional funding for discretionary housing payments. This will be an additional £10 million in 2011-12 and £40 million a year thereafter. The Department will consider how best to distribute this funding in conjunction with local authorities; however, one of the criteria we will consider is the projected levels of shortfalls between benefit and rents at local levels.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) lone parents in Warrington North constituency who will have been on jobseeker's allowance for over 12 months by 2013.

Chris Grayling: The information is not available.

Maternity Payments

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Sure Start maternity grants were made to mothers for their second or subsequent child in each Jobcentre Plus Social Fund Budget area in the South West in 2009-10.

Steve Webb: There is only one Jobcentre Plus Social Fund budget area in the south-west Government office region, namely South West Central. The exact number of Sure Start maternity grants awarded for a second or subsequent maternity in this budget area in 2009-10 is not available, but is estimated to be 9,800 (rounded to the nearest 100).

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to reply to the letter dated 11 June 2010 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr B. E. Gareth, transferred to his Department from the Department of Health.

Steve Webb: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions replied to the right hon. Member on 18 June 2010.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received Support for Mortgage Interest in each  (a) local authority area and  (b) Jobcentre Plus district in the last 12 months; and how many of those in each such area were in receipt of (i) income support, (ii) jobseeker's allowance and (iii) pension credits.

Chris Grayling: Information is not available in the format requested; the available information has been placed in the Library.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in receipt of  (a) income support,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) pension credits in each (i) local authority and (ii) Jobcentre Plus district who will no longer have their full mortgage interest payment covered by their Support for Mortgage Interest benefit payments under the proposals in the June 2010 Budget.

Chris Grayling: This information is not available because the Department does not collect management information on the actual interest rates that apply to Support for Mortgage Interest customers' loans.

Oil Rigs: Industrial Health and Safety

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions there have been between the Health and Safety Executive and the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group on safety on Transocean's oil rigs in UK waters; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a member of the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) and two of its specialist review groups: Technical (covering Well Engineering, Operations and Control) and European Issues. Transocean are represented on the main group and the technical group. HSE inspectors have attended both meetings of OSPRAG and all three meetings of its Technical Review Group. Transocean also attended these meetings and participated in the discussions.
	OSPRAG's safety remit is to monitor and review information from the Deep Water Horizon incident to facilitate the implementation of pertinent recommendations on the UK continental shelf. HSE has been working alongside other members, including Transocean, to review emerging findings and benchmark relevant aspects of well design, examination and control.

Pensioners: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Warrington North constituency receive  (a) state pension,  (b) pension credit and  (c) winter fuel allowance.

Steve Webb: In winter 2008-09, the latest year for which information is available, 18,820 people received a winter fuel payment in Warrington North constituency.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	 Source:
	DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent data.
	The state pension and pension credit information is in the table.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  State pension recipients  Pension credit individual beneficiaries  Pension credit household recipients 
			 Warrington North 17,020 5,290 4,300 
			  Notes:  1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. State pension figures are for the total state pension caseload. Around 1% of state pension recipients are not in receipt of the basic state pension, but are receiving additional state pension only or graduated retirement benefit only.  3. Pension credit household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves or on behalf of themselves and a partner. Individual beneficiaries are the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are claiming.  4. Parliamentary constituencies are for the Westminster Parliament of May 2010.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data as at November 2009.

Pensions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received on his Department's proposals to change the state pension retirement age.

Steve Webb: As of 15 July 2010, over 160 responses have been received from individuals in response to the call for evidence. Many of these cover the three questions we asked in the call for evidence: changes in life expectancy and the economic context, the notice period and ensuring no group is disproportionately affected.
	No responses have been received from organisations to date, but we are aware that a number are being prepared.
	All the issues raised will be considered once the call for evidence period ends on 6 August.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against benefits decisions have been refused because they were not received within the one month deadline in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	Between April 2009 and March 2010 the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) refused 672 of the 4,052 appeals referred from the Department for Work and Pensions as received outside the one month deadline to appeal. This is the most recent period for which figures are available.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against benefits decisions have been  (a) granted and  (b) refused in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	Between April 2009 and March 2010 the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) granted 74,622 and refused 116,049 appeals against benefit decisions made on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. This is the most recent period for which figures are available.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against benefits decisions were determined without a hearing in the last 12 months.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	Between April 2009 and March 2010 the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) determined 55,019 appeals on papers without an oral hearing. This is the most recent period for which figures are available.
	In addition, the tribunal disposed of 36,529 appeals which were withdrawn prior to hearing, 6,002 appeals that were superseded (that is, where the Department for Work and Pensions gave a new decision) and 21,760 that were struck out (that is, where the claimant failed to comply with a judge's directions).

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many decisions on benefits appeals in  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Northern Ireland and  (d) Wales are outstanding.

Jonathan Djanogly: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of outstanding appeals with the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support) against benefit decisions made on behalf of the Secretary of State as of 14 June 2010 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 England 109,516 
			 Scotland 19,654 
			 Wales 20,734 
		
	
	This is the most recent period for which figures are available. These do not include appeals that have been lodged with the Department for Work and Pensions but have not yet been referred to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support).
	The system for Social Security benefits in Northern Ireland is devolved and is the responsibility of the Civic Department for Social Development. Appeals are considered by the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service.

State Retirement Pensions: Foreign Nationals

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who receive a state pension by virtue of marriage are not UK citizens, have not made any national insurance contributions and have never lived in the UK; and how much has been paid to such recipients in the last 12 months.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available because a person's citizenship does not determine whether a UK state pension is payable and so this information is not recorded.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Location

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to relocate  (a) civil servants and  (b) government bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) out of London and (ii) to the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: No.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W, on Departmental Official Cars.

Departmental Travel

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in his Department in (i) May 2010 and (ii) June 2010.

Alan Duncan: Details of overseas travel by Ministers during May and June will be published in August on the Cabinet Office website. The Department for International Development (DFID) is unable to provide details of ministerial travel in the UK without incurring disproportionate cost. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Developing Countries

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that the UN Millennium Development Goals are met.

Stephen O'Brien: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is at the heart of the Government's development policy. We are reviewing all our programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money and accelerate progress towards the MDGs.
	At the United Nations Millennium Development Goals summit in September, we will press for international agreement on an action agenda to achieve the MDGs by 2015. The United Kingdom sees the summit as a key opportunity for both developed and developing countries to make results based commitments, including on the most off track MDGs such as maternal and child health. We are clear that any such commitments must be based on quantifiable outcomes in terms of changes on the ground.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's Working Together for Better Health strategy in achieving its objectives; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: We are currently reviewing our aid programmes to determine how we can achieve better value for money for the taxpayer and accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. DFID's health portfolio will be included in the reviews.

India and China: Overseas Aid

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding he plans to allocate to projects in  (a) India and  (b) China in 2010-11.

Andrew Mitchell: Under the previous Government, the Department for International Development (DFID) allocated £280 million for India in 2010-11. I have commissioned a review of the bilateral aid programme. This will determine the size of the future India programme.
	I announced on 3 June that the China programme will close as soon as is practical. DFID will spend £20 million completing programmes to which we are contractually committed in 2010-11.

Yemen

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he next plans to visit Yemen.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to supporting the Government of Yemen address its development challenges.
	The security situation in Yemen means we cannot discuss ministerial travel plans.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will ensure that the UK's development assistance to Yemen is funded at a level commensurate with that country's importance to UK national security.

Alan Duncan: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided on 8 July 2010,  Official Report, column 421W, on Yemen: Overseas Aid.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff are assigned to his private office; and what the civil service pay band of each is.

Chris Bryant: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent civil servants are working in his office.

Nicholas Clegg: The breakdown of staff employed in my private office as at 14 July, at each grade, showing full-time equivalents, is as follows:
	
		
			  Cabinet Office grade  Civil service grade  Pay range  Full-time equivalents 
			 Senior civil servant Senior civil servant £82,900-£162,500 1 
			 Band A Grade 6/7 £44,300-£59,000 3 
			 Band B2 SEO/HEO £29,819-£38,103 3 
			 Band C AO/AA £19,594-£23,831 2

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many prosecutions there have been for an offence of failure to complete and return an annual electoral registration form in each region in each of the last 10 years.

Mark Harper: This information is not collected centrally. Electoral registration officers (EROs) have a statutory duty to maintain a complete and accurate electoral register. It is for individual EROs to decide on what action to take in relation to non-completion of an individual annual canvass form.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an assessment of the implications of the introduction of individual voter registration in Northern Ireland for adoption of individual voter registration in the rest of the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: The Government are currently considering the options for implementation of individual electoral registration, including taking into account the experience in Northern Ireland, and will announce its approach to this in due course.

Electoral Systems: Referendums

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he received advice  (a) in favour of and  (b) against holding the Alternative Vote referendum on the same day as elections for the devolved legislatures and local authority elections.

Mark Harper: The Deputy Prime Minister set out the Government's reasoning in a statement to the House of Commons on 5 July 2010,  Official Report , column 24:
	"first... that all parties fought the general election on an absolute pledge to move fast to fix our political system, so we must get on and do that without delay; secondly, it is important to avoid asking people to keep returning to the ballot box; and finally, in these straitened times we must keep costs as low as possible."

Electoral Systems: Referendums

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with representatives of  (a) the devolved Administration,  (b) local government,  (c) trades unions,  (d) industry,  (e) voluntary organisations and  (f) the public in relation to the proposed referendum on electoral reform.

Mark Harper: It was right that the Government announced their proposals for the alternative vote referendum to Parliament first. Over the coming months we will be working closely with the Electoral Commission, devolved Administrations and others to make sure that the devolved elections, the local elections and the referendum are run effectively.

Electoral Systems: Referendums

Pete Wishart: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he sought advice from the Electoral Commission on the proposed date of the referendum on electoral reform.

Mark Harper: My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced the Government's proposals for a referendum on the alternative vote on 5 July 2010,  Official Report, columns 23-25. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and I have had discussions with the Electoral Commission on a number of matters.

Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will include repeal of the Act of Settlement in his proposals for a Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill.

Mark Harper: There are no current plans to repeal the Act of Settlement.

CABINET OFFICE

Business

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the five-year survival rate of small businesses was in  (a) Enfield North constituency,  (b) London and (c) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the five-year survival rate of small businesses was in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) London and (c) the IJK in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on small enterprise five year survival in Enfield North parliamentary constituency, London and the United Kingdom.
	
		
			  The count of births in 2003 and the count and percentage of five year survival for enterprises with less than 50 employment 
			   2003  Five year 
			  Geography  Births  Survival  Percentage 
			 United Kingdom 266,525 124,160 46.6 
			 London 48,740 19,205 39.4 
			 Enfield North 405 170 42.3 
		
	
	A small business is defined as an enterprise with less than 50 employment.

Business

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the five year survival rate of small businesses was in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire and  (b) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 16 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning what the five year survival rate of small businesses was in (a) Mid Bedfordshire and (b) the UK in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on small enterprise five year survival in Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency and the United Kingdom.
	
		
			  The count of births in 2003 and the count and percentage of five year survival for enterprises with less than 50 employment 
			   2003  Five year 
			  Geography  Births  Survival  Percentage 
			 United Kingdom 266,525 124,160 46.6 
			 Mid Bedfordshire LA 740 390 52.7 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 590 310 52.9 
		
	
	A small business is defined as an enterprise with less than 50 employment.

Business: Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many small businesses in Enfield North constituency generated a turnover of  (a) between £70,000 and £100,000 and  (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many small businesses in Enfield North constituency generated a turnover of (a) between £70,000 and £100,000 and (b) over £100,000 in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Annual statistics on business counts are available from the ONS release UK Business: Activity, Size and Location at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	Data are for enterprises in the constituency of Enfield North with less than 50 employment and for the year 2009.
	
		
			  Count of VAT and/or PAYE based enterprises with less than 50 employment for the constituency of Enfield North in 2009 
			  Turnover size  Number 
			 £70,000-£99,000 435 
			 £100,000+ 1,610

Business: Enfield

Nick de Bois: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many businesses  (a) started up and  (b) ceased in Enfield North constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many businesses (a) started up and (b) ceased in Enfield North constituency in each of the last five years.
	Annual statistics on business births, deaths and survival are available from the ONS release on Business Demography at:
	www.statistics.gov.uk
	The table below contains the latest statistics available on enterprise births and deaths for Enfield North parliamentary constituency, the past five years.
	
		
			  Count of enterprise births and deaths from 2004 to 2008 in parliamentary constituency of Enfield North 
			   Births  Deaths 
			 2004 435 (1)- 
			 2005 405 325 
			 2006 410 325 
			 2007 360 330 
			 2008 485 320 
			 (1) Not available.

Cabinet Committees: Public Expenditure

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the annual operating costs of the proposed Star Chamber process for departmental expenditure reductions.

Oliver Letwin: 'The Spending Review Framework' published on 8 June 2010 set out the Government's plans for the spending review. It included the announcement of a Cabinet Committee of senior Cabinet Ministers, the Public Expenditure Committee (PEX) or so called 'Star Chamber', to advise the Cabinet on high level decisions that will need to be taken in the spending review.
	It is not possible to isolate costs associated with operating individual Cabinet Committees; however, as a Committee of Cabinet, costs incurred by operating PEX will be met from the Cabinet Secretariat's existing resources. Ministers attending the Committee would be supported by existing resources within their Departments.
	A copy of 'The Spending Review Framework' has been placed in the Library of the House.

Charities

Ian Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many registered charities are based in  (a) Wrexham,  (b) Wales and  (c) the UK.

Nick Hurd: Charity law is a devolved issue with each independent regulator having separate responsibility for the maintenance of a register of charities based in its territory. In Scotland this is kept by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and in Northern Ireland it is kept by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). The information requested for charities in Wales falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission for England and Wales. I have asked the Commission to reply to these aspects of the question.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, dated 8 July 2010:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question (7826) on how many registered charities are based in (a) Wrexham, (b) Wales and (c) the UK.
	In England and Wales, registered charities are asked to nominate a named correspondent whose contact details are available via the online Register of Charities on our website at:
	www.charitycommission.gov.uk
	Many charities operate in small local areas and for them the contact address we hold is likely to correspond to the charity's area of operation. However many larger charities operate nationally or internationally and the address we hold may be for their head office only.
	With this caveat, the Register of Charities as at 8 July 2010 shows that:
	(a) there are 177 registered charities based in the Parliamentary constituency of Wrexham;
	(b) there are 8,133 registered charities based in Wales; and
	(c) there are 162,243 registered charities based in England and Wales.
	Our website includes a facility to find charities based on the Parliamentary constituency or local authority area of the named contact, and this can be accessed at:
	http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/registerofcharities/mapping/Search.aspx
	I hope this is helpful.

Deaths: Allergies

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths attributable to  (a) anaphylaxis and  (b) other allergic reactions there were in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths attributable to (a) anaphylaxis and (b) other allergic reactions there were in each of the last five years. (9017)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths from (a) anaphylactic shock and (b) other allergic reactions in England and Wales, from 2005 to 2009 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where anaphylactic shock was the cause of death,( 1)  England and Wales,( 2 ) 2005 - 09( 3, 4) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 2005 15 
			 2006 25 
			 2007 24 
			 2008 26 
			 2009 32 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes T78.0 (Anaphylactic shock due to adverse food reaction), T78.2 (Anaphylactic shock, unspecified), T88.6 (Anaphylactic shock due to adverse effect of correct drug or medicament properly administered) and T80.5 (Anaphylactic shock due to serum), where these codes were the secondary cause of death. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year (4) Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2. Number of deaths caused by other allergic reactions,( 1)  England and Wales,( 2)  2005 - 09( 3, 4) 
			   Deaths (persons) 
			 2005 25 
			 2006 39 
			 2007 28 
			 2008 28 
			 2009 21 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J30 (Vasomotor and allergic rhinitis), K52.2 (Allergic and dietetic gastroenteritis and colitis), L20 (Atopic dermatitis), L23 (Allergic contact dermatitis), J45.0 (Predominantly allergic asthma) and J45.8 (Mixed asthma), where these codes were the underlying cause of death. Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes T78.1 (Other adverse food reactions, not elsewhere classified), T78.3 (Angioneurotic oedema), T78.4 (Allergy, unspecified) and T88.7 (Unspecified adverse effect of drug or medicament) where these codes were the secondary cause of death. (2 )Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year (4) Figures for deaths registered in 2009 are provisional.

Departmental Official Cars

Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the mileage travelled by each Minister in his Department in a Government car in  (a) May and  (b) June 2010.

Francis Maude: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Mike Penning) on 13 July 2010,  Official Report, column 624W.

Departmental Travel

Ian Austin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of its expenditure on travel undertaken in an official capacity by each Minister in his Department in (i) May 2010 and (ii) June 2010.

Oliver Letwin: As set out in the Ministerial Code Departments will publish, at least quarterly, details of all travel overseas by Ministers. Information for the first quarter will be published as soon as it is ready. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Electronic Government

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of Civil Service posts of his Department's plans to reduce the size of websites of individual Government Departments; and what assessment he has made of the effect on consumers of the consolidation of information from those departments on the DirectGov website.

Nick Hurd: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated 12 July 2010:
	As Chief Executive of the Central Office of Information (COI), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question (8386) on government websites.
	Individual departments are responsible for their own staffing levels including those working on websites.
	The Central Office of Information recently published a report on the cost, usage and quality of government websites, this did not include recommendations for a reduction in the size of them.
	No assessment has been made of on the consolidation of information to the DirectGov website as this is again a matter for individual depts.

Lone Parents: Edinburgh

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Edinburgh East constituency.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your request to ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many lone parents there are in Edinburgh East constituency. (8187)
	The number and type of families in the UK can be estimated using the Annual Population Survey (APS). Estimates are provided for tone parent families which include at least one child aged under 16.
	The latest available figure is for 2008 and is shown in the table below. This is based on the 2008 parliamentary constituency boundary and there have been no boundary changes since 2008 in the area requested.
	
		
			  Geographical area  Number of lone parent families with at least one child under 16 (thousand)( 1) 
			 Edinburgh East constituency (2008) 3 
			 (1) As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty and are therefore presented rounded to the nearest thousand. Source: APS January to December 2008

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Childbirth

Helen Grant: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many births there were at  (a) Maidstone hospital and  (b) Tunbridge Wells hospital in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 16 July 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many births occurred at (a) Maidstone Hospital and (b) Tonbridge Wells Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available. (9519)
	Figures for live births by hospital have been compiled from birth registration data. The latest year for which data on place of birth are available is 2008. The table below shows the number of live births in 2008 in the hospitals requested, according to this source. Information on place of birth is provided by the informant at registration rather than by the hospitals themselves.
	
		
			  Live births occurring in selected hospitals in 2008 
			  Communal establishment  Number 
			 Maidstone Hospital 2,159 
			 Pembury Hospital, Tunbridge Wells 2,649

NDPBs: Manpower

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department has issued guidance to non-departmental public bodies on the future employment of staff currently employed in policy roles; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Letwin: No such guidance has been issued by the Cabinet Office to non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

Public Sector: Public Consultation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to implement the proposals in his Department's paper Mutual Benefit: Giving People Power over Public Services.

Nick Hurd: The Government are committed to supporting the creation and expansion of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, including by enabling these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.
	The Cabinet Office is working closely with Departments to identify areas where mutuals and co-operatives could play a greater role in running services, in particular through public sector workers 'spinning out' to set up new employee-led organisations.

Public Sector: Recruitment

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether he has made an assessment of the merits of standardising the employment application forms used by the Home Civil Service and non-departmental public bodies.

Oliver Letwin: We are progressing a range of initiatives to improve the efficiencies of recruitment processes following the publication of the National Audit Office report: Recruiting Civil Servants Efficiently in 2009. A programme of work called Next Generation HR, will deliver new technology, through a phased in approach starting July 2010, designed to standardise recruitment processes and application forms and remove cost and time from the recruitment process in Government Departments. This programme will also be made available to agencies and non-departmental public bodies over time.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the deadline is for unsolicited contributions to the Strategic Defence and Security Review from members of the public and organisations.

Oliver Letwin: The Government expect to publish a National Security Strategy and the outcomes of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in the autumn, in coordination with the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). Contributions and ideas from members of the public and organisations are welcome at any time during this process.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 732W, on defence, with which organisations the Government has begun engaging on the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Oliver Letwin: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 July 2010,  Official Report, column 732W. Government have begun engaging with key partners and representative organisations on the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). These organisations include a range of think tanks; academics; industry groups; trade union and staff associations; and international partners. I would be happy to write to the hon. Member with further details of the organisations involved.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Afghanistan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many official visits Ministers in his Department have made to Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: No Ministers have visited Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Agriculture: Research

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research on genetically-modified plants, food and feed have been funded by  (a) each research council and  (b) the Science and Technology Facilities Council since 1997; what the (i) topic, (ii) start date, (iii) cost and (iv) project code was of each such project; who the main contractor was in each case; and which such projects have been completed to date.

David Willetts: The Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) have funded projects in both areas, and details of these will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Some of the data sets do not run for the full period since 1997; this is because data for the years which are not provided can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) funded two grants since 1997 whose research included GM plants. Details of these will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have not funded any projects of the types listed.

Agriculture: Research

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research projects on the  (a) sources and quantities of greenhouse gases,  (b) water pollution and  (c) air pollution arising from agricultural activity have been funded by (i) each research council and (ii) the Science and Technology Facilities Council since 1997; what the (A) research topic, (B) start date, (C) cost and (D) project code was of each such project; which the lead institution was in each case; and what such projects have been completed to date.

David Willetts: The Biotechnology and Biological Research Council (BBSRC) has undertaken research into the sources and quantities of greenhouse gases, water pollution and air pollution arising from agricultural activity, but the cost of collating all of the information in the form requested would be disproportionate. BBSRC have been able to provide those details of research expenditure relating to greenhouse gases, water pollution and air pollution arising from agricultural activity. A copy will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) provided two grants for research into the sources and quantities of greenhouse gases. For water pollution, NERC has provided funding via its research centre, the British Geological Survey (BGS). Details will be placed in the Libraries of the House. NERC has not provided funding for research into air pollution.
	The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have not provided any funding.

Apprentices

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many of the 50,000 apprenticeship places he has announced will be  (a) reserved for those under the age of 25 years and  (b) at level three or above.

John Hayes: Following our announcement to redeploy £150 million from the Train to Gain budget in England, we have asked the National Apprenticeships Service and the Skills Funding Agency to work with training providers to support the expansion of apprenticeships. Funding guidance for providers is now available on the Skills Funding Agency website. There is no specific target or allocation for those under the age of 25 or for those taking an advanced apprenticeship at level 3.

Balance of Trade

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the UK's trade in goods deficit was  (a) in 1997 and  (b) at the latest date for which information is available; and what steps he plans to take to reduce the deficit.

Mark Prisk: According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK's trade in goods deficit was £12.3 billion in 1997 and £81.9 billion in 2009 on a balance of payments basis.
	The Department's priorities include stimulating growth and competitiveness by promoting open and fair global markets and improving UK Trade and Investment's focus on generating high value inward investment and strengthening the capability of UK exporters. "The Coalition: our programme for government" states that the Government believe that business is the driver of economic growth and innovation; we need to take urgent action to boost enterprise, providing the competitive environment required for enterprise to thrive; we will consider the implementation of the Dyson Review to make the UK the leading hi-tech exporter in Europe; we will support pro-development trade deals; and we will ensure that UKTI and the Export Credits Guarantee Department become champions for British companies that develop and export innovative green technologies around the world.

Balance of Trade

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the UK's trade in goods deficit has been in each year since 1997.

Mark Prisk: The data requested are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   UK deficit in trade in goods (£ billion) 
			 1997 12.3 
			 1998 21.8 
			 1999 29.1 
			 2000 33.0 
			 2001 41.2 
			 2002 47.7 
			 2003 48.6 
			 2004 60.9 
			 2005 68.6 
			 2006 76.3 
			 2007 89.8 
			 2008 93.1 
			 2009 81.8 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics, on a Balance of Payments basis

Banks: Finance

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many banks in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Dudley borough participated in the Working Capital Scheme.

Mark Prisk: The Working Capital Scheme (WCS) was launched last year to provide guarantees for banks: individual businesses were not eligible to apply for these guarantees. The banks participating in the WCS are Lloyds TSB and Royal Bank of Scotland. No geographic information is kept on the location of the loans in the guaranteed portfolios. No further guarantees will be available under the WCS although existing guarantees will be honoured.

Broadband

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what progress has been made on identifying the three rural market testing projects for superfast rural broadband announced on 8 June 2010;
	(2)  what progress has been made on the rollout of the superfast broadband project announced on 8 June 2010; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the implications of the project for Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: As stated in the coalition's joint programme for Government, we will seek to introduce superfast broadband in remote areas at the same time as in more populated areas. On 8 June, the Secretary of State for Culture, the Olympics, Media and Sport set out the Government's plans for ensuring the UK has the best superfast broadband network in Europe by the end of the Parliament.
	These plans include enabling access to existing infrastructure to reduce the cost of deployment, and we launched a discussion document on how best to do this on 15 July. Further, the Secretary of State has proposed three market testing projects for superfast broadband in rural areas, to be paid for with money left over from the Digital TV Switchover Help Scheme. The venues for these projects are currently under consideration. Candidates for these initiatives could be drawn from anywhere in the UK.
	Officials from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, from the Scottish Government and the other Devolved Administrations will continue to work closely together to inform decisions on the location of projects. East Sutherland and Edderton ward, north of Inverness featured as a theoretical worked example at the Industry Day on 15 July.

Broadband: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the extent of availability of broadband services in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: This Department has made no recent assessment. However, Broadband Delivery UK is assessing current broadband provision at community level in its work on delivery of Universal Service Commitment and Next Generation Broadband Access.

Business: Government Assistance

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of additional businesses able to access credit as a result of the extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.

Mark Prisk: It is estimated that an extra 2,000 SMEs could benefit from the £200 million extension of the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) announced at the emergency Budget. The £200 million extension brings the EFG facility to a total of £700 million for this financial year.

Companies House

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has assessed the merits of bringing forward proposals to increase the power of Companies House to enforce the payment terms registered by large companies.

Edward Davey: There are no proposals to increase the powers of Companies House to enforce the payment terms registered by large companies.

Departmental Buildings

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many buildings his Department occupies in  (a) London and  (b) the UK.

Edward Davey: This Department occupies 1 Victoria street, Kingsgate House, Victoria street, and Westfield House, Earlsfield in London.
	This Department also occupies space in the following buildings around the UK:
	Companies House, Cardiff;
	St Paul's Place, Sheffield;
	St Mary's House, Sheffield (staff due to move to St. Paul's Place in October 2010);
	Newtown House, Nottingham;
	Exchange House, Watford;
	Queensway House, Billingham;
	Europa House, Glasgow;
	3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester;
	Mowden Hall, Darlington;
	Castle View House, Runcorn.

Departmental Internet

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on website design in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The original DTI website was launched in 1996 and designed in-house at no cost (except staff time).
	The first redesign was in 1998. The cost incurred for this is not recorded in the Department's electronic document management system, and the paper files could be accessed only at disproportionate cost.
	In 2006 the site was moved onto a content management system and re-launched with a new design. The cost of this project overall was an estimated £175,000, as noted in the response to a Freedom of Information request published 16 June 2006 on the BIS website, titled 'Accessibility of DTI website' at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/site/foi/information-released
	Detailed information about the costs of the Department's websites since June 2007, including redesigns, is readily available on the BIS website at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/site/costs-usage
	The cost of the project to create the unified BIS website
	www.bis.gov.uk
	launched March 2010, was £397,000. Taking these setup costs into account, the new service will save £2.5 million over the next four years compared to the cost of the contracts it replaces.
	 (b) I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to my hon. Friend directly.
	The information on the Department's non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is not held centrally and to provide this would incur disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 6 July 2010, UIN 7600 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House's financial records do not go back as far as 1997. However, Companies House spent £39,400 on website design in 2003.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 9 July 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on website design in each year since 1997.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is unable to provide the information requested for each year since 1997 because accounting records are only available for the year 2003/04 onwards.
	The Insolvency Service has not incurred any external costs on website design from 2003/04 onwards. Any costs incurred on website design from 2003/04 to date have been purely internal staff costs and it is not possible to quantify the cost to The Service of this work.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 13 July 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 July (UIN 7600), to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning spend on website design in the Department and its agencies.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010. Since that date we have not spent any money on website design as our website was constructed using existing BIS templates.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 16 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 06th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office spent £355,000 on website design in 2008. Prior to this all web design was done in house.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 15 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (NMO) to your Parliamentary Question tabled 6 July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking about expenditure on website design in each year since 1997.
	All website design work has been carried out by an external web development supplier since 2001. NMO managed their own website internally before this time, but no costs are available for this activity in the period 1997 to 2001. Detailed data on annual spend is available from 2003 onwards. Similarly detailed data on annual spend for 2001 and 2002 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost threshold.
	The total amount spent by NMO each year on website design since 1 January 2003 and up to and including 31 December 2009 is as follows:
	
		
			   Total spend on website design (£) 
			 2003 6,505 
			 2004 3,596 
			 2005 21,410.02 
			 2006 35,308.78 
			 2007 33,685.21 
			 2008 (1)90,586.58 
			 2009 44,117.28 
			 (1 )Includes £45,000 in identifiable staff costs 
		
	
	For the purpose of compiling these figures, website design costs have been taken to include strategy and planning, design and build, hosting and infrastructure, content provision, testing and evaluation. Staff costs have been included only where available.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on maintaining its Twitter feed in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: This Department spent nothing on maintaining its Twitter account in the last 12 months.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on maintaining its YouTube channel in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: In April 2010 the Department spent £250 on the page design of its YouTube channel. There has been no other spending on this channel in the last 12 months.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on maintaining its Flickr channel in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: The Department spent nothing on maintaining its Flickr account in the last 12 months.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff in his Department are primarily engaged in maintaining social media and networking sites; and what estimate he has made of the cost of employing such staff in the last 12 months.

Edward Davey: The Department does not employ anyone specifically to maintain its participation in social media and networking sites. The Digital Communications team supports policy officials and Ministers to engage and inform a broad range of audiences using digital channels which include social media. Currently three individuals are involved as a small part of their total duties in managing the Department's presence on social websites Twitter, Flickr and YouTube. On average the work is that of approximately 0.15 full-time equivalent staff. Taking into account the grades of the individuals, the total the cost of this staff time is estimated as £500 per month.

Departmental Lighting

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on light bulbs in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: This Department's contracted maintenance service supplier does not keep a specific record for the purchase of light bulbs and it is not possible to separate spend on this item from the main contract fee.
	Information for non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office, the Intellectual Property Office and the Skills Funding Agency and they will respond to my hon. Friend directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 6 July 2010, UIN 7619 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has only purchased very small amounts of light bulbs since 1997, as fluorescent strips, which are not classed as light bulbs, provide our main lighting. The small number of light bulbs we have purchased are part of larger, multi-product orders from more than one supplier, and we cannot determine the cost of this individual item.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated July 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on light bulbs in each year since 1997.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is unable to supply a figure for these costs. These particular items are replaced as part of a wider maintenance contract and are not specifically charged for.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 12 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about expenditure on light bulbs in each year since 1997.
	The cost of light bulbs forms part of the charges which the Agency pays for facilities management of its building and a separate figure for this element could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 13 July 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 July (UIN 7619), to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning spend on light bulbs in the Department and its agencies.
	This information is not recorded separately and to determine this spend would incur disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 16 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 06th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office does not have any expenditure on light bulbs. The Office is fitted with fluorescent lighting throughout. Costs for this are included with our general electrical supplies.

Departmental Manpower

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time staff his Department employed in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 5 June 2009 from the merger of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) which ceased to exist from that date.
	BIS figures for the financial year ending March 2009/10 show BIS with 3,291 full-time and 398 part-time staff. The latest return to ONS (end of June 2010) shows BIS currently has 3,258 full-time staff and 400 part-time staff.

Departmental Official Cars

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which Ministers in his Department have used an allocated Ministerial car to travel between the Department and the House of Commons on each day since 21 May 2010.

Edward Davey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for West Bromwich East (Mr Watson) on 7 June,  Official Report, column reference 82W.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Training

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what training has been provided for Ministers in his Department since the formation of the present administration; and at what cost.

Edward Davey: BIS has spent a total of £2,800 on providing training to help Ministers undertake their official duties.

Departmental Training

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his  (a) Department and its predecessors and  (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: We are able to provide information on the Department's spend on training and development from 2004. Details of the training and development spend for the Department for the period 2004 to date are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004 7 million 
			 2005 8 million 
			 2006 8 million 
			 2007 6 million 
			 2008 6 million 
			 2009 6 million 
			 2010 6 million 
			 2011(1) 692,000 
			 (1) Spend to date. 
		
	
	The information requested for our agencies and non-departmental bodies is not held centrally as these groups have their own delegated training budgets. Information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	  Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 6 July 2010, UIN 7638 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House's financial records do not go back as far as 1997. Companies House costs for training for each year for which figures are available are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ 
			 2007-08 251,955 
			 2008-09 365,929 
			 2009-10 202,632 
		
	
	While we do not have figures for individual years earlier than 2007/08, I can confirm that the total amount spent on training in the five years from 2002-2006 is £1,966,480.
	  Letter from Stephen Speed, dated July 2010:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and its predecessors and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on training for its employees in each year since 1997.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has no information on this expenditure for the years 1997 to 2003.
	Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2010, The Insolvency Service spent £11,088,567.79 on training. The yearly breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 812,717.57 
			 2004-05 1,135,441.05 
			 2005-06 1,115,103.03 
			 2006-07 1,250,505.75 
			 2007-08 1,747,456.64 
			 2008-09 2,503,093.30 
			 2009-10 2,524,250.45 
		
	
	These figures relate only to the direct costs of training and do not include travel and subsistence costs.
	  Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 13 July 2010:
	I am replying on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 July (UIN 7638), to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, concerning spend on employee training in the Department and its agencies.
	The Skills Funding Agency was set up as an agency of BIS on 1 April 2010. Since that date we have spent £16,582 on training for employees.
	  Letter from Peter Mason, dated 12 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 6 July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills asking about expenditure on training in each year since 1997.
	Information on such expenditure prior to January 2001 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	The National Measurement Office and its predecessor, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, spent the following on training provided by either external training organisations or its parent department:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2001 48,009.95 
			 2002 38,926.11 
			 2003 51,378.41 
			 2004 43,517.39 
			 2005 40,511.27 
			 2006 22,248.14 
			 2007 31,159.98 
			 2008 65,357.79 
			 2009 61,364.08 
		
	
	These figures do not include the internal costs of coaching, mentoring etc within the Agency.
	  Letter from John Alty, dated 16 July 2010:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 06th July 2010, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office spent the following sums on training:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2009-10 637 
			 2008-09 1033 
			 2007-08 538 
			 2006-07 486 
			 2005-06 453 
			 2004-05 456 
			 2003-04 537 
			 2002-03 527 
			 2001-02 491 
			 2000-01 553 
			 1999-2000 398 
		
	
	Earlier years are not available in the timescale.

Departmental Written Questions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day his Department has answered on the due date in the current session of Parliament to date.

Edward Davey: A total of 121 named day parliamentary questions were tabled to this Department requiring an answer by 12 July 2010. Of these 84 (69%) received a substantive reply on the date requested. The Department continues to monitor performance in answering named day parliamentary questions in line with the Government's response to the Procedure Committee report on written parliamentary questions-7 December 2009 - HC 129.

Further Education

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether  (a) he and  (b) the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning has had formal meetings with the (i) Secretary of State for Education and (ii) Minister for Schools to discuss further education colleges; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, for Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has not yet met with the Secretary of State for Education or the Minister for Schools. The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, meets regularly with the Secretary of State for Education and the Minister for Schools to discuss issues relating to the delivery of post-compulsory education and training opportunities in his role as sponsor of the further education system. This includes discussion about issues relevant to further education colleges as appropriate.

Further Education: Capital Investment

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much capital grant support each further education college in Merseyside will receive in 2010-11.

John Hayes: The following table sets out those colleges who will receive capital support from the Skills Funding Agency in 2010-11 in the Merseyside area. In addition Hugh Baird College, Knowsley College, Riverside College Halton and Southport College are all eligible for the Renewal and the Enhanced Renewal Grant as part of the additional £50 million capital funding announced by the Chancellor on 24 May.
	
		
			  College  Total (£) 
			 Hugh Baird College 93,619 
			 Knowsley Community College 61,425 
			 Liverpool Community College (1078/23) 255,302 
			 Liverpool Community College (1096/23) 100,000 
			 St Helens College 3,341,000 
			 Birkenhead Sixth Form College 5,552 
			 Carmel College 2,922,973 
			 Total 6,779,871

Graduates: Employment

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to improve the employability of graduates.

David Willetts: We are committed to increasing employment by cutting the burden of national insurance on new businesses employing new staff in areas such as South Northamptonshire. We are cutting corporation tax over the next four years, and we are easing the burden of regulation.
	In addition, I have asked universities to provide public statements on what they do to promote employability, so as to encourage them to increase the job-readiness of their students and to do better at getting their students into internships and work experience.

Higher Education

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of new campuses to be established under the New University Challenge programme in  (a) England and  (b) the West Midlands in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

David Willetts: No estimate has been made of the number of new campuses to be established under the New University Challenge programme. The timescale for taking forward any new campuses will depend on decisions in the spending review about resources for 2011-12 and beyond.

Higher Education: Job Creation

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which will be created under the New University Challenge programme in  (a) England and  (b) the West Midlands in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.

David Willetts: No estimate has been made of the number of jobs we anticipate to be created under the New University Challenge programme in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The timescale for taking forward any new university centres will depend on decisions in the spending review about resources for 2011-12 and beyond.

Higher Education: Mental Health Services

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether he plans to evaluate the efficacy of mental healthcare provision in higher education institutions;
	(2)  if he will review the adequacy of the required minimum level of mental healthcare provision in higher education institutions;
	(3)  what guidance he issues to higher education institutions on their compliance with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 in respect of mental health care.

David Willetts: I have no plans to evaluate the efficacy or level of mental health care provision in higher education institutions. Universities have duties under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 (as amended) to support disabled staff and students in higher education, including those with mental health conditions. They will have similar duties under the Equality Act 2010, once its provisions start to come into force from October 2010. Universities are subject to the courts in the application of these duties.
	There is guidance available to universities on supporting students and staff with mental health conditions from a range of sector and medical bodies, including the heads of University Counselling Services, the Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education (AMOSSHE), the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the former Disability Rights Commission and most recently from the UniversitiesUK/Guild HE Working Group for the Promotion of Mental Well-Being in Higher Education.

Learning and Skills Council for England

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff have transferred from the Learning and Skills Council to each regional development agency since April 2010.

John Hayes: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) ceased to exist on 31 March 2010 and the responsibility for distributing funding for training and education of post 19 adult learners outside of higher education was transferred to the Skills Funding Agency on 1 April 2010.
	No staff have transferred from the Skills Funding Agency to Regional Development Agencies since April 2010. 31 staff are currently on secondment from the Skills Funding Agency to the Regional Development Agencies. These staff were seconded prior to April 2010. The staff have the right of return to the Skills Funding Agency when their secondments end.

Loans: Interest Rates

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to cap the interest rates which can be charged by lenders in the  (a) pawnbroking,  (b) payday loans and  (c) home credit market.

Edward Davey: I recently announced a joint BIS and HM Treasury review of consumer credit and personal insolvency and my Department will be issuing a formal call for evidence after the summer recess. The review will cover all phases of the consumer credit lifecycle including the decision to borrow, the lifetime of a loan and what happens when things go wrong. I see this as an opportunity to ensure that we have a regulatory framework that is fair to consumers and creditors alike.
	Among other things, the formal call for evidence will give industry and consumer groups the opportunity to provide evidence on how they think the findings and recommendations of the OFT review should be taken forward, including whether interest rate caps are an appropriate solution to the problems found in the market.

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many cars were purchased under the Vehicle Scrappage scheme in  (a) the West Midlands,  (b) Dudley borough and  (c) Dudley North constituency during the scheme's operation.

Mark Prisk: Using data based on the locations of dealerships and data for scrappage transactions which have been completed and vehicles delivered, there have been  (a) 34,142 completed scrappage transactions in the West Midlands,  (b) 1,912 in Dudley borough and  (c) 212 in the Dudley North constituency (based on constituency boundaries prior to the recent general election). Due to the nature of the scheme, we will not have final data on completed scrappage transactions until approximately the beginning of September this year.

New Businesses: Older People

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to assist people aged over 50 years to start new businesses.

Mark Prisk: The coalition Government are committed to making this decade the most entrepreneurial and dynamic in our history. We are putting in place a comprehensive, long-term approach to enterprise, which will include people aged over 50. We want more people over 50 to start businesses, and this means creating an environment where they see good start-up opportunities where they live, consider it a good career choice and have knowledge of other people who have successfully started their own businesses.

Overseas Trade: Kazakhstan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what reports he has received from UK Trade and Investment on barriers to trade access in Kazakhstan.

Mark Prisk: The UK has worked closely with the European Commission, business and EU member states in identifying key market access barriers to trade with Kazakhstan as part of the EU's Market Access Strategy. This Department has also been following the process of Kazakhstan's WTO accession process as an avenue for improving market access for UK business. Following the introduction of the Customs Union between Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus on 1 January and the introduction of the Customs Union Customs Code applicable from 6 July, we have yet to hear of any new barriers to trade access in Kazakhstan.
	While we are working to reduce the negative impact of several market access problems, Kazakhstan offers many good opportunities for UK companies to do profitable business. UKTI is actively exploring the potential in the energy, education and financial services sectors.

Post Offices: Access

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure that post offices comply with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts relating to accessibility.

Edward Davey: I have asked David Smith, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Post Offices: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) post office branches within supermarkets and  (b) stand-alone post office branches are located in the London borough of Bexley.

Edward Davey: I have asked David Smith, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Post Offices: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) post office branches within supermarkets and  (b) stand-alone post office branches are located in (i) Southend and (ii) Essex; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I have asked David Smith, the Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Post Offices: Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the network subsidy payment is allocated to  (a) rural and  (b) urban post offices.

Edward Davey: I have asked David Smith, the managing director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Post Offices: Nottingham

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if officials from his Department's Royal Mail and Postal Services Team will meet representatives of the campaign for Post Office services in Carrington, Nottingham to discuss the provision of Post Office branches.

Edward Davey: No. Decisions on the provision of post office services and location of post office outlets in any individual area are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

Post Offices: Urban Areas

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the prospects for establishing new post offices in urban areas; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Decisions on the provision of post office services and the establishment of new post office outlets in any individual area are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd.

Postage Stamps: Anniversaries

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will discuss with the Royal Mail the production of a commemorative stamp to mark the 350th anniversary of the Book of Common Prayer in 2012.

Edward Davey: Decisions relating to commemorative postage stamps are an operational matter for Royal Mail.
	Royal Mail has a well-established process for choosing stamp themes and designs several years in advance of any issue. Anyone who has a suggestion for an anniversary is advised to put their suggestion direct to Royal Mail as early as possible. All suggestions are given consideration, but there can never be any guarantees that the suggestion will be taken up as the company receives over 2,000 suggestions each year.

Private Sector: Wales

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has assessed the effect of the proposals in the 2010 Budget on levels of private sector employment in  (a) Wales and  (b) the Bridgend county borough council area in each of the next five years.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) does not produce employment forecasts. Detailed national employment forecasts have been published by the Office of Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) in the pre-budget forecast report.
	The Office of Budget Responsibility in its forecast expects that employment will stabilise this year and rise from 2011 onwards, reaching just under 30 million in 2014. The ILO unemployment rate peaks in 2010, before falling back to 6.25% in 2014. Claimant count unemployment continues to fall throughout the forecast.
	A major area of uncertainty recognised by the Office of Budget Responsibility is whether, and to what extent, private sector spending and employment are able to fill the gap that the cuts in public spending in their forecast leave. In addition they do not make employment forecasts for devolved countries or local authorities.

Public Houses: Insolvency

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many pub businesses have been declared bankrupt in each year since 1997.

Edward Davey: The level of industry classification the Insolvency Service reports on does not separately identify "pub businesses". The following table shows insolvencies in England and Wales for licensed premises (for 1997 to 2006) and bars (for 2007-09), within which public houses are included.
	
		
			  Insolvencies in England and Wales 
			   Compulsory liquidation  Creditors' voluntary liquidation  Trading-related bankruptcy orders  Receivership  Administration  Company voluntary arrangement 
			 1997 158 n/a 965 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 153 n/a 719 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999 144 n/a 733 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000 147 n/a 766 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001 115 n/a 666 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002 101 84 613 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2003 122 72 580 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2004 83 70 527 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2005 132 80 514 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2006(1) 109 73 388 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2007(2) 75 56 220 3 9 4 
			 2008 170 163 657 7 44 23 
			 2009 147 214 543 11 48 16 
			 n/a = not available at this level of detail. (1) Data only available for Q1-Q3 2006 due to a change in industry classification. (2 )Data only available for Q3-Q4 2007 due to a change in industry classification.  Note: Data only available for Q2-Q4 for creditors' voluntary liquidation in 2002. 
		
	
	The Insolvency Trade Classification (ITC) was used to classify trading-related bankruptcies (and company liquidations) until end September 2006. More recently, the Standard Industry Classification 2003 has been in use and there have been associated changes to the method used to identify traders amongst bankrupts and company liquidations by industry. From September 2006 until June 2007 there is no information available by industry. The period covered should not, therefore, be treated as a consistent time series.

Renewable Energy: Research

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent steps his Department has taken to encourage universities to assist in the development of new, sustainable energy sources.

David Willetts: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) provides funding to the Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB). Research Councils and the TSB provide a range of support to universities, including funding for research into sustainable energy sources.
	The Research Councils UK Energy Programme is an ongoing investment in research and postgraduate training, with a current portfolio of projects worth over £560 million. The programme supports a full spectrum of energy research to help the UK meet its energy and environmental targets and to ensure a secure, affordable, sustainable energy supply for all.
	The TSB's current portfolio of energy R&D projects is worth over £150 million (including contributions from business), with the majority of these projects involving university partners. In addition, the Energy Generation and Supply Knowledge Transfer Network has recently been established to create a network of business, technology, academic and policy stakeholders interested in this area.

Royal Mail

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of ownership his Department plans to make available to  (a) employees of Royal Mail and  (b) private shareholders under his Department's proposals to create a shared ownership structure for Royal Mail.

Edward Davey: The coalition Government wish to secure the future of Royal Mail and to ensure the maintenance of the universal postal service. As set out in the coalition agreement, we will therefore seek to ensure an injection of private capital into Royal Mail, including opportunities for employee ownership. A Postal Services Bill to implement these measures was subsequently included in the Queen's Speech and we will announce further details of our plans in due course.

Science: Innovation

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to provide support for the science and innovation industry.

David Willetts: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman) during Business, Innovation and Skills oral questions on 8 July 2010,  Official Report, column 516.

Sector Skills Councils: Finance

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department provided to each sector skills council in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: In 2010-11, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has allocated £58,108,000 to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UK Commission) to contract with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) for both their core activity supporting skills development within their sectors and other work creating and maintaining vocational qualifications and diplomas in England.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills also provides up to £8 million directly to Lifelong Learning UK.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Sector Skills Council  UK Commission contracted funding 2010/11  BIS direct funding 2010/11 
			 Asset Skills 2,884 - 
			 Cogent 2,125 - 
			 ConstructionSkills 2,714 - 
			 Creative and Cultural Skills 2,396 - 
			 Energy and Utility Skills 2,753 - 
			 e-skills UK 2,541 - 
			 Financial Services Skills Council 2,021 - 
			 GoSkills 2,128 - 
			 Government Skills 510 - 
			 Improve Ltd 2,113 - 
			 Institute of Motor Industry (IMI) 2,194 - 
			 Lantra 3,035  
			 Lifelong Learning UK 1,987 Up to 8,000 
			 People 1st 2,521 - 
			 Proskills UK 2,152 - 
			 Semta 2,450 - 
			 Skills for Care and Development 1,949 - 
			 Skills for Health 2,023 - 
			 Skills for Justice 2,953 - 
			 Skills for Logistics 2,073 - 
			 SkillsActive 2,103 - 
			 Skillset 4,412 - 
			 Skillsmart Retail 2,062 - 
			 SummitSkills 1,940 - 
			 Other 2,070 - 
			 Total 58,108 Up to 8,000

Supermarkets: Competition

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on implementation of the Government's proposal to establish a grocery supply chain Ombudsman; what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The coalition Government are committed to introducing a body in the Office of Fair Trading, to enforce the Grocery Supply Code of Practice and curb abuses of power which undermine our farmers and act against the long-term interest of consumers.
	We are carefully analysing some 60 responses offering a range of views on a consultation which ran from 5 February to 30 April. Recently, I have met, and listened to the views of Ministers and a wide range of stakeholders on the proposals for the new body and have further meetings planned. We intend to respond to the consultation soon.

TREASURY

Capital Gains Tax

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures of inflation he plans to use to calculate the annual exempt amount for capital gains tax.

David Gauke: The annual exempt amount for capital gains tax continues to increase each year in line with the retail price index (RPI) measure of inflation. As announced at the Budget, the Government are reviewing how the consumer price index can be used for the indexation of taxes and duties while protecting revenues.

Car Allowances: Voluntary Work

Andrew Percy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the merits of reviewing the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments Scheme in respect of their application to volunteer drivers.

David Gauke: holding answer 13 July 2010
	The approved mileage allowance scheme is used by many charities to refund volunteer drivers as a matter of convenience, but they are not obliged to do so. Where a charity wishes to pay its volunteer drivers a higher rate of allowance it is free to do so providing the rate paid is based on the actual costs incurred by the volunteer driver.

Child Trust Fund: Armed Forces

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children of service families have received payments from the Child Trust Fund in each year since its inception.

Mark Hoban: The Government do not hold information regarding the number of children of service personnel with a Child Trust Fund.

Coinage: Forgery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of counterfeit coins in circulation.

Justine Greening: The Royal Mint and the Treasury are working with banks, the Post Office, cash handling and sorting businesses, the police and the vending industry to remove counterfeit £1 coins from circulation before they reach the pockets of members of the public. Coin handling businesses, such as banks and the Post Office, handle over three billion £1 coins every year. They use high-speed, automated systems to process customer deposits and prepare coin for reissue. These automated systems are capable of detecting and withdrawing a significant number of counterfeit coins. All counterfeit coins detected from coin processing are sent to the Royal Mint for disposal.
	The Royal Mint holds briefing to educate the public and the coin handling industry on how to identify counterfeits, and has issued educational leaflets and posters.
	The Royal Mint is also working with other validator and coin sorting manufacturers to help improve the counterfeit detection rate.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Alan Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the terms of reference are of the review of alcohol taxation announced in the June 2010 Budget.

Justine Greening: holding answer 13 July 2010
	 Details on the nature and scope of the review of alcohol taxation are available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/alcohol_taxation.htm

Excise Duties: Biofuels

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the exemption from fuel duty for exempt producers of biodiesel; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Estimates of the annual cost to the Exchequer of the two-year duty differential for used cooking oil biofuel are provided in table 1.2 of the 2009 pre-Budget report. The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review.

House Insurance: Floods

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the insurance industry on the level of premiums and excesses for people whose houses flooded during 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Housing Benefit

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the level of  (a) 50th percentile rents in 2010-11 and  (b) 30th percentile rents in 2011-12 for (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five bedroom properties in City of Durham constituency.

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of  (a) 50th percentile rents in 2010-11 and  (b) 30th percentile rents in 2011-12 for (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five bedroom properties in Warrington North constituency.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper) on 6 July 2010,  Official Report, column 184W.

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Mark Spencer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of people in Scotland who will benefit from the increase in the threshold for payment of the basic rate of income tax.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of people in  (a) Leeds North West,  (b) Leeds and  (c) West Yorkshire who will benefit from the increase in the threshold for payment of the basic rate of income tax.

David Gauke: The June 2010 Budget announced that the personal allowance for under 65s will be increased by £1,000 to £7,475 in 2011-12. To ensure that support will be focused on those on low and middle incomes the Government will reduce the level of the basic rate limit. The national insurance upper earnings/profit limit will also be reduced to keep it aligned with the income tax higher rate threshold.
	The number of basic rate taxpayers in Scotland gaining from these measures is estimated to be 2.0 million in 2011-12, benefiting by up to £170.
	This estimate is calculated using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 in line with June 2010 Budget assumptions.
	Information at parliamentary constituency level is not available due to small survey sample sizes at this level of geography, and because the information is based on the 2007-08 survey data which would not be reliable for this purpose.
	Available information on tax by parliamentary constituency based on the latest available Survey of Personal Incomes (2007-08) can be found in Table 3.15 Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency' on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm

Income Tax: Tax Allowances

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of low earners who will not pay income tax in 2011-12 as a result of the measures in the June 2010 Budget.

David Gauke: The personal allowance for under 65s will be increased by £1,000 in April 2011, with the gains limited to basic rate taxpayers. The Government estimate that the 880,000 lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether.
	This estimate is calculated using HMRC Personal Tax Model, based on 2007-08 Survey of Personal Incomes data projected to 2011-12 inline with the June 2010 Budget assumptions.

Minimum Wage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that employees receive at least the national minimum wage.

David Gauke: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is responsible for the policy on national minimum wage (NMW).
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have worked closely with BIS to develop the NMW compliance strategy, available at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/10-678-nmw-compliance-strategy.pdf
	The compliance strategy recognises that a 'one size fits all' approach is unlikely to be the most effective, and that ensuring compliance with the NMW requires the use of a variety of tools and partnerships.
	Where HMRC find non-compliance the employer is required to repay arrears of the NMW to their workers at current rates and pay an 'automatic' penalty. If an employer fails to pay the NMW following HMRC's intervention, HMRC can take civil proceedings on behalf of the worker or workers affected.
	In the most serious cases where there is evidence that a criminal offence has been committed, HMRC refers cases for prosecution In line with the published policy on NMW enforcement and prosecution.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what valuation criteria are used in rating assessments in respect of convenience stores  (a) located and  (b) not located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourts.

David Gauke: The criteria used in the valuation of all properties for non domestic rating purposes is prescribed by statute; it is, broadly, the open market annual rental value of the property at the relevant valuation date.
	The same valuation criteria is therefore used for the assessment of both convenience stores located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourt and those not located in or within the curtilage of petrol filling stations and forecourt.
	The Government are aware of concerns about large increases in rateable value for petrol stations and will be looking to meet representatives of the industry to discuss their concerns.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions Ministers or officials in his Department have met representatives of the independent petrol forecourt industry in respect of the 2010 Valuation Office Agency revaluation scheme since 1 January 2010.

David Gauke: Officers of the Valuation Office Agency have met with agents representing the independent petrol retailers bodies on five occasions since 1 January 2010.

Office for Budget Responsibility

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms there are to ensure the independence of the Office for Budget Responsibility from his Department; and what arrangements he plans to introduce in his proposals to place the office on a statutory footing.

Justine Greening: The Terms of Reference of the interim Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) provide that: the OBR will be given direct control over the forecast and all the key judgments that drive it; the Budget Responsibility Committee will make all the key judgments and assumptions underpinning the interim OBR's forecasts, analysis and advice; the Treasury will be accountable to Parliament for ensuring that the interim OBR is properly and efficiently run; and that the OBR will have discretion over what material is published in fulfilling the remit set out in the Terms of Reference.
	As set out in the Queen's Speech, the Government intend to bring forward a Bill to place the OBR on a statutory footing. The Chancellor will set out the arrangements for the permanent OBR to Parliament.

Poverty: Children

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the benefits and taxation measures in the 2010 Budget on the number of children living in relative poverty resident in  (a) Glasgow North East constituency,  (b) Glasgow,  (c) Scotland,  (d) England,  (e) Wales,  (f) Northern Ireland and  (g) the United Kingdom in fiscal years (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16.

Justine Greening: The Budget announced a package of reforms to tackle unaffordable spending and support the most vulnerable. For instance, the Budget announced a freeze in the rate of child benefit to help fund significant above indexation increases in the child tax credit, which is better targeted to low income families. Measures announced in this Budget will have no measurable impact on child poverty over the next two years.
	Estimates of the impact of Budget tax and benefits measures on the number of children in relative poverty are only available at the UK level, as lower geographical disaggregations do not provide sufficiently robust results.
	Estimates post 2012-13 are not available due to greater uncertainty surrounding longer term economic forecasts underpinning the modelling. The Government are developing a long-term strategy taking into account the causes as well as the symptoms of poverty. The right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr Field) has been asked to lead a review, including how to measure and make progress on non-financial aspects of poverty.

Public Expenditure: Merseyside

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the likely effects on Merseyside of the Government's planned spending reductions.

Danny Alexander: The Government set out in their document "Spending Review Framework" (2.4, page 7) that they will
	"look closely at the effects of its decisions on different groups in society, especially the least well off, and on different regions."

Research and Development Tax Credit

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of research and development tax credits in encouraging investment by small and medium-sized enterprises in hi-tech industries.

David Gauke: As part of the plans for corporate tax reform, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the emergency Budget that the Government will consult with business in autumn 2010 to review the taxation of intellectual property, the support R and D tax credits provide for innovation, and the proposals of the Dyson Review.
	Annual numbers and costs of R and D tax credit claims, mainly by small and medium-sized hi-tech enterprises, are published as national statistics at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/corporate_tax/randdtcmenu.htm
	The most recent figures, published on 18 December 2009, cover financial years up to 2007-08.

Revenue and Customs: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of HM Revenue and Customs  (a) office and  (b) property at Queen's Dock, Liverpool; and he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is currently reviewing its plans for the future of its office in Queens Dock as part of a review of all HMRC premises across the city of Liverpool. The review is designed to determine what accommodation will be required to meet HMRC's medium and longer term operational needs. Plans for the office at Queens Dock will not be established until this review has been completed. The property at Queens Dock is occupied by HMRC under the 2001 Strategic Transfer of the Estate to the Private Sector (STEPS) private finance initiative (PFI) contract and HMRC's interests in the property do not extend beyond their rights of occupation.

Tax Allowances: Video Games

Ann McKechin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the analysis undertaken by his Department in 2009-10 on the effects on Exchequer revenue of providing tax relief for the computer games industry.

David Gauke: The cost of introducing a tax relief for the video games industry was published in the March 2010 Budget document, this can be found at
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100407010852/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/budget2010_documents.htm

Taxation: Banks

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Financial Statement of 22 June 2010,  Official Report, column 175, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the proposed changes to taxation will result in a contribution from the banking sector which outweighs any benefit from lower tax rates.

David Gauke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Holborn and St Pancras (Frank Dobson) on 1 July 2010,  Official Report, column 610W.

Taxation: Environment Protection

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government will take to meet its commitment to increase the share of revenues drawn from green taxes in the fiscal years  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15; and what proportion of overall revenues will be drawn from green taxes in each.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor keeps all taxes under review and the decisions made about tax policy are made in the round alongside all other priorities. Forecasts for receipts from taxes are set out in table C11 of the Budget.

Unemployment

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the documents relating to his Department's presentation on the effects on unemployment levels of the June 2010 Budget.

Justine Greening: holding answer 6 July 2010
	The Office for Budget Responsibility has published the Budget forecast and supporting assumptions, including their judgment on the level of unemployment and employment over the forecast period. Details can be found in Table C2 and paragraphs C.20 and C.21 of the Budget document, available online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/junebudget_easyread.htm

VAT

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) research he commissioned and  (b) impact assessments he undertook other than those in Annex A of the Red Book in determining the rate of value added tax.

David Gauke: The Budget's VAT rate increase was driven by the need to address the deficit, which will benefit everyone.
	Other than Annex A of the "Red Book", describing the distributional impacts of the Budget, the economic effects of the increase in the standard rate of VAT are set out in the Office for Budget Responsibility's Budget forecast at Annex C:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_annexc.pdf
	The associated impact assessment, which describes the compliance costs for business, were published alongside the Budget:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_impact_ assessments.pdf

VAT: Pensioners

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed rise in the standard rate of value added tax on the proposed cost of living for pensioners.

David Gauke: The Government are committed to reducing the Budget deficit while supporting the most vulnerable. The Emergency Budget demonstrated this commitment by confirming that the Government will uprate the basic state pension by a triple guarantee of earnings, prices and 2%-whichever is highest-from April 2011, benefiting over 11 million pensioners. The Government will increase the basic state pension in April 2011 by at least the equivalent of RPI.
	To ensure the lowest income pensioners benefit from the triple guarantee, the standard minimum income guarantee in pension credit will receive an above-indexation increase in April 2011-increasing by the cash rise in a full basic state pension.
	Many essential items that pensioners buy are zero-rated, while others are reduced-rated. On average, each percentage point increase in the standard rate of VAT will impact single pensioners by 0.3% of net income and pensioner couples by 0.4% of net income in 2012-13.

Welfare Tax Credits: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Liverpool Wavertree constituency receive tax credits; and how many of those have an annual income of over £30,000.

David Gauke: This information is published in the HMRC publication "Household Income distribution of Tax Credits families by Westminster Constituency-April 2010". A copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library, and will be published on HMRC's website shortly.

Welfare Tax Credits: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in Warrington North with a family income of over  (a) £15,000 and  (b) £30,000 are in receipt of tax credits.

David Gauke: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table 1: Warrington North constituency -  families in receipt of the child care element of tax credits by income band household income 
			  Household income  Number 
			 Between £15,000 and £30,000 2,720 
			 Over £30,000 3,000 
		
	
	This analysis is based on provisional information on families receiving tax credits as at April 2010. Further details about this data can be found in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2010", available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Wind Power: Offshore Structures

Edward Miliband: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of the offshore wind infrastructure port development competition announced in the March 2010 Budget.

Justine Greening: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him today by the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change (UIN 8756).